Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: Symphony of Tempering
Chapter Nine: Tensions Abound
Beta: ShadowofAxios
A few days after being kicked into New York Sound by Mr. D, Rhode was pacing in her hotel room in the Park Central Hotel New York and arguing with Poseidon and Amphitrite over her phone, all while glaring at her recently arrived lunch courtesy of room service that was waiting for her.
Do they have to do this every time I get back from school!? Rhode thought with a pout as she listened to her parents try to, in their own words, "talk sense into her".
"Rhode, please just go back to Camp." Dad pleaded over the conference call. "It's not safe for you to be bouncing around hotels in New York City."
"I agree with your father, Rhode." Her stepmother added. "And I know it's affecting you. You've not had a good night's sleep in days."
Rhode couldn't deny that. The hopping from unfamiliar bed to unfamiliar bed was making it hard for her to sleep properly. It made her almost wish she'd retained the ability to sleep anywhere, anytime that she'd had when she'd been homeless.
"I'm fine," Rhode insisted. "Besides, I'm only bouncing around because staying at one place too long is inviting a monster to attack."
"And that wouldn't be an issue at Camp." Dad insisted.
"It is." Rhode said with an angry growl as she recalled why that was.
"Uh, less of one?" Dad tried lamely.
"And you wanting to try and hunt down the traitor who poisoned Thalia's Tree against Dionysus' orders has nothing to do with this?" Amphitrite asked, ignoring the previous tangent their conversation had taken.
"And against Chiron's advice too," Dad added.
"And what am I supposed to do instead? Not try!? I can't do anything to heal Thalia's Tree. I can't pull off some kind of divine botany Dad, but I can at least avenge her memory!" Rhode exclaimed into the phone as fire beat in her heart, her rage rising at the thought of eviscerating the traitor who would hurt Thalia's Tree.
Her dad sighed heavily, she could just see him rubbing his eyes with a disapproving look in his sea green eyes. "Rhode, sweetheart, you do not even know who the traitor is. Let alone if they foolishly decided to stay in New York."
"And I can't track them if they left because I still have school don't I? Which I would totally ditch if you didn't threaten to teleport and trap me in Atlantis if I stop going!"
"I do not regret making that ultimatum." Dad said sternly. "You need to finish your education and I will not let you fail to do so just to go traipsing across the world on a potentially deadly and futile Quest."
"And Rhode, sweetie, since you're stuck in New York, then you should really just head back to Ca-"
"I love you but no, means no, Amphitrite."
Amphitrite and Dad just sighed in resignation.
"Look, if you don't have anything else to say, I have homework to do and then I've got to hunt down some neutral monsters to pump for information on the traitor."
"Just try not to threaten them too much."
"I don't threaten Dad, I bribe."
"Anyways, like your mother said, Rhode, please try to sta-" Dad began only to cut himself off and gasp. "Rhode! Get over to Meriwether now! Your brothers need you."
"Brothers?" Rhode asked, confused. "Dad, what are you-"
"No time to explain," Dad said urgently. "Hurry! Before the Laistrygonians get them."
"Alright," Rhode said, her face going pale at the mention of Laistrygonians. They might not be the worst monsters running around, but the man eating giants weren't pushovers either and tended to operate in pretty large groups. If Percy ran into them… That he would have trouble would be an understatement, especially if they attacked him at school and he had to fight them while protecting the mortals there.
"Got it!" She told her Dad as she rushed to her bags and quickly began putting on her questing gear. "I'll be there pronto."
It took only about fifteen minutes before Rhode was hopping out of a cab at Meriwether but it seemed she was already too late. Looking in through a hole that had been blasted out of the wall of the school's gym, she saw Annabeth kill what seemed like the last of the Laistrygonians.
"Bethy, what are you doing here?" Rhode asked as she walked into the disaster area that was the Meriwether gym. "And what the hell happened here? Dad mentioned Laistrygonians and- Percy! Is that a cyclops standing next to you!?"
"Yeah, uh, he's Tyson." Percy said nervously, moving to stand in front of the one-eyed monster. "You know, I mentioned him at Christmas? I kinda just noticed he was a cyclops though."
Rhode could only nod numbly in shock. Her brother's only friend at school was a cyclops!? What in the world!?
Before Rhode could ask any more questions, Annabeth walked up to Rhode and grabbed her arm.
"We don't have time for this." She hissed as she began dragging her back through the hole in the wall she'd just walked in from. "We need to get to Camp ASAP."
"What's the rush?" Percy asked as he, and his cyclops friend, trailed behind them.
Annabeth shot him a look like he was crazy.
"Thalia's Tree's been poisoned and Camp is falling apart because of it. How can you not know!?"
Percy shot Rhode a look of shock.
"I didn't want you to worry?" Rhode said sheepishly.
Annabeth rolled her eyes at that.
"Okay, whatever, we can scold Rhode later." The daughter of Athena said as she pulled out a Drachma and tossed it into the street where it sank through and shouted. "Stêthi, Ô hárma diabolês (Stop, Chariot of Damnation!)."
"The Gray Sisters, Bethy?" Rhode asked incredulously as the taxi run by the trio of insane daimon oracles jumped out of what might have been warp speed to park on the curb where Annabeth had dropped her Drachma.
"I want to get back to Camp fast," Annabeth explained as she pushed Percy, and by extension his cyclops friend much to the blonde's dismay, into the cab. "And it is the fastest way there."
"Fair enough," Rhode said with a shrug and walked over to the other side of the waiting Chariot of Damnation to squeeze in.
After an eventful ride in the Gray Sisters' taxi which involved a lot more handling of the three immortal oracles' lone eye than Rhode was sure Percy ever wanted and a cryptic message about some mysterious "location" being at a series of numbers, Rhode and the others finally made it to Half-Blood Hill to find a phalanx of Campers fighting a group of wolf headed warriors.
"Are those cynocephali?" Annabeth gasped. "Aren't they supposed to be super rare?"
"Guess they didn't catch the memo." Percy snarked back as they saw one of the bestial warriors armed with a pair of double headed war axes try to leap over the Campers' shield wall only to be impaled on their pikes and dissolve into gold dust, but not before it threw both its axes into the heart of the phalanx, eliciting cries of alarm and pain.
"We can chat about where they came from later!" Rhode chided as she donned the Pallas Armor and pulled a stream of water out of the magical water bottle of her utility belt and transformed it into a barrage of icicles that impaled a few more of the cynocephali.
This seemed to catch the attention of the wolfmen and a dozen or so turned away from their frenzied assault on the Campers' unyielding phalanx.
"Incoming!" Percy shouted rather unnecessarily as with a bloodthirsty wolf's howl, the dozen cynocephali charged down Half-Blood Hill straight at them.
"No hurt Tyson's friends." The cyclops shouted suddenly as he tossed a chunk of earth that looked like it had just been ripped out of the ground at a trio of the wolfmen rushing Percy, only for them to leap out of the impact zone with lupine grace.
"Damn these things are agile." Rhode cursed even as the first of the beastmen headed her way got within jumping range and did just that, leaping at her with its sword raised in a powerful overhead swing.
Rhode just summoned Spellbound and swung it at the airborne opponent even as she channeled a spell through it, "Confringo!"
The powerful wizarding spell sent a blast of fiery orange light flying from her weapon that exploded into a sizable explosion as it impacted with the monster, easily reducing it to gold dust.
Gotta thank Aphros and Bythos for getting me to relearn to use my magic in a fight. Rhode thought idly as she used Spellbound to parry the spear that the next cynocephalus engaged her was armed with.
Much to her annoyance, it was definitely more skilled with its weapon than she was with hers and caught her parry, managing somehow to knock Spellbound to the side in the process. This left her guard open for one of its fellows, one armed with twin daggers to charge in to attempt to gut her.
"Sagitta Infernum (Arrow Hell)!" Rhode cast even as she tugged hard on Spellbound and pulled it out of the lock the first cynocephalus had tried to place it in.
Arcane arrows fired off like a swarm of angry wasps, twisting and turning to nail both of the cynocephali she was fighting, skewering their bodies. Both of them howled in pain but much to Rhode's shock actually shook off the pain and pressed their attack. The knife wielder slashing at her in a pained, feral fury whilst the spearwolf supported it with frantic thrusts of its spear.
I can't keep up with both of them at the same time. Rhode realized as she tried only to earn herself a nasty cut on her shoulder from the spearman, the bastard actually managing to hit her in the small gap between her neck and her shoulder that the Pallas Armor did not cover. Not if I only use Spellbound.
Thankfully, she wasn't quite so limited. Calling on a little hydrochloric acid from the poison kit on her utility belt, she had it spin around her in random patterns.
The knife wielding wolfman was too caught up in its fury, the dude was even frothing lightly, that he didn't react quickly enough and practically walked into the acid, upon which it yelped in agony and crumpled to the ground.
"That's what you get for losing your head in a fight." Rhode taunted as she used the surprise of the knife wielder going down to finally open some space with the spearwolf. "And what the hell did you put on that spear of yours?"
'Cos the damned wound wasn't healing, despite the healing powers that the Pallas Armor usually granted her.
The spearwolf shrugged and tried to move in. Rhode though was ready for him and as he closed, she had the puddle of acid that he seemed to have forgotten about to shoot up at him, but the canny guy just leapt back.
It used the distance to survey the rest of the battle and Rhode did the same, noticing that most of its cynocephali compatriots were dead or on the side of losing battles. Percy was strangling a pair with ropes of water whilst he helped Annabeth up from where she'd seemed to have fallen, looking like she might've sprained her ankle in addition to nursing a nasty cut to her arm. Tyson was using a tree he'd uprooted as a club and was winning a game of keep away with three more cynocephali. And the remainder were slowly being pushed down Half-Blood Hill by the Campers' phalanx, dozens dying by the tips of its pikes.
The wolf man let out a bark and saluted at her before bolting, fleeing the battlefield without a second thought, howling as it did and causing those of its surviving fellows with the ability to do so to join him in making their escape.
Rhode waited for the last of them to run out of sight and the others to finish off those who were at their mercy before finally releasing her Pallas Armor.
"That was anticlimactic." Rhode grumbled as she used her Toxikinesis to draw out whatever poison the spearwolf had used against her.
"Rhode! Are you alright?" Su said as she ran out of the phalanx, it was splitting up anyways, towards her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just some poison." Rhode grunted as she finished extracting it. She put it in a vail to look at later. "It wasn't that strong. Nothing some ambrosia won't fix."
Su breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's really been poisoned." Bethy's pained cry from nearby had Rhode turning towards her.
"Uh, Annabeth, I thought you knew that already." Percy said, looking at Annabeth worriedly.
"Yeah, but-"
"It's okay Bethy," Rhode said, walking over to her. "We'll find a way to fix it. To save Thalia. But for now, let's get back into Camp so I can heal you. Just in case there's more monsters lurking around that might be thinking to take a shot."
Annabeth frowned and visibly fought back tears but nevertheless nodded, allowing Rhode and Percy, one on either side of her to help her up Half-Blood Hill. Tyson and Su following after them like ducklings after their mother.
"I could summon my Ent golem." Su suggested as she walked beside Rhode. "It might be easier for Annabeth."
"No need," the daughter of Athena said stubbornly. "I can handle this."
"Leave her, she's using the pain to distract from everything else." Rhode told the daughter of Demeter. "Go get the Campers back to their Cabins or something. I've got these three."
Su frowned but Rhode shot her a look and she compiled with a sigh.
As they came down the Hill and into Camp, Rhode spotted Tantalus, the new stand-in Activities Director that Mr. D had brought in to replace Chiron, waiting for them.
"Welcome back Campers," the damned soul on loan from the Fields of Punishment greeted. "And oh! You're brought back a pet cyclops so we can use it in training or perhaps as target practice! Thank you!"
Tantalus was barely finished speaking when suddenly a familiar hologram of a trident appeared over Tyson's head, stunning everyone.
Even as everyone knelt and Rhode reflexively did so too, only one thought went through Rhode's mind.
Dad, what the hell!
Sure she'd figured out Tyson was her brother by what Dad had said over the phone, but to claim him!? That was... Rhode didn't even have words for it.
I-I need time to think about this.
"Su!" She shouted as she stood up. "Can I crash in your Cabin tonight?"
"Huh? Uh, sure, Rhode." Su said reflexively. "Just pray to Mum for permission before you go in, okay?"
"Pretty Rhode?" Tyson asked, looking at Rhode in confusion but she just shook her head and ignored him, marching off to Cabin Four lost in thought.
Thankfully Lady Demeter accepted her prayer and the promise to burn her an offering during dinner and she was able to spend the night at Cabin Four. Still, the second she stepped inside, the teenager pulled out her divine cellphone.
"Come on, pick up." She muttered heatedly into the device as it dialed the number she'd called.
A cheerful tune jingled into her ear. "I'm sorry, but I'm currently swamped. Please call back at a later time or leave a message. *Beep*"
"Dad, Dad you pick up! You are able to screen your calls, I know you know it's me. Pick up so I can yell at you!"
There was no reply and she growled in anger.
Su and her siblings looked at her as if she was nuts. What? So she could yell at her Dad, how was that weird?
"Well, if you're not going to answer then I'll call Amphitrite! See how you like Mum breathing down your neck for ignoring me!"
"She thinks of Amphitrite as her mom? And the goddess doesn't mind?" Someone muttered, but Rhode ignored them to dial her stepmum's number.
"Mum! You there?" Rhode all but shouted into the phone when the call connected.
"This is better than TV!" A voice stage whispered.
"Shh, she might hear you!"
"Yes, I am sweetie." Amphitrite replied, sounding incredibly happy for some reason. "No need to shout."
"Awesome, can you put Dad on the line. I have an issue to speak of with him."
"...He's… tending to a thing."
"A thing?"
"A thing."
"He's right there, isn't he?" Rhode drawled.
"Yes, but he's giving us both the silent treatment."
Both ladies of the House of Atlantis groaned in unison.
"So you know why I called? About Dad claiming Tyson, a cyclops, out of nowhere?"
"Yes, I am." Amphitrite told her. "What's the matter though?"
"He's a cyclopes! A wild one!"
"So were some of your other siblings you met while at Atlantis. You remember Iraklis? You seemed to get along with him famously."
"He, he was different…" Rhode paused and palmed her face. "And I'm being a hypocrite aren't I?"
"A smidge. I hope you haven't said anything mean to your little brother."
"Little brother?" Rhode boggled. "How old is Tyson?"
"About seven to eight years old by human standards. Cyclopes age more slowly than humans. He's basically still pretty much a child."
"Oh," Rhode said, feeling like a heel.
Thankfully she hadn't actually been mean to her prepubescent brother.
"Uh, so Dad claimed him to keep him safe from what Tantalus was threatening to do to-"
"Rhode, back up, did you say Tantalus? What is he doing in Camp?"
"Mr. D made him the stand-in for Chiron."
Amphitrite growled in a way that Rhode had never heard from her. It was like the fury of the ocean made manifest.
"He goes too far!" She roared. "Dionsysus might not like heroes but Tantalus is likely a genuine threat to the Campers. He loathes heroes and the gods!"
"Yeah, we all kinda figured tha-"
"You misunderstand Rhode, Tantalus has actively orchestrated the death of heroes in the past. He's dangerous." Amphitrite added, her voice still radiating fury. "I'm going to have to give Thetis a call. She'll hopefully talk sense into that boy! I swear, Tantalus? How petty can that boy be! And don't even get me started on how Demeter must feel about having him at Camp!"
"Uh, sure?" Rhode said, uncertainly.
"Rhode, this is Dad." The aforementioned god said over the phone suddenly. "Your mother has stormed off to find Thetis, I think. So, um, you're not angry at me anymore?"
"No, Dad." Rhode reassured him. "Sorry for overreacting."
"It's fine. Just, uh, take care of Tyson okay? And try talking sense into Percy about him too?"
"I'll try. Love you, Dad."
"Love you too, bye Rhode. I need to go stop your mother before she does something rash. Honey, put those stingrays down!"
"Go, Dad." Rhode said with a chuckle as the line cut off.
"Rhode?" Su spoke up after the daughter of the sea put away her phone.
"Yeah Su."
"You are amazing." She giggled while her siblings looked like Rhode was some kind of strange existence.
She just had a conversation with her parents. How was she the weird one?
Rhode might have calmed down after her talk with her parents but she had asked for a night in Cabin Four from Aunt Demeter and she wasn't about to piss her off by backing out at the last minute so she'd stayed. It was like a sleepover with Su and her siblings and it was great. They talked late into the night and all around had fun.
By next morning, Rhode couldn't put it off any longer though. She had to go settle things with Tyson.
Amphitrite's reaction to Tantalus had managed to put her concerns over Tyson into perspective. There were more important things to be worried about. Tantalus was a real danger and here she was pissed off about her Dad claiming one of her brothers to protect him from Mr. D and Tantalus abusing him. Heck, the spirit had even suggested using Tyson as a target for training! How could Rhode have forgotten that?
"No! You cannot go visit the pegasi! They're jumpy as is and you'll freak them out!" Rhode heard Percy shout at Tyson as they both stepped out of Cabin Three and she walked towards them.
"Percy!" Rhode hissed as she speedwalked the remaining distance to her brothers. "You don't need to shout at Tyson like that."
"You're taking his side? Really?" Percy asked incredulously. "What did I say was untrue?"
"Nothing," Rhode admitted with a grimace. "But you didn't need to shout it into Tyson's face like that. He's our brother, treat him like it."
"Brother!? Since when were you okay with that? With being considered on the same level as a monster by Dad?"
"Percy," Rhode said with a groan at her brother essentially thinking like she had yesterday. "Dad did that to save his life, not to insult us. And unless you're forgotten your lessons, again, we have plenty of non-human relatives besides just Tyson."
A loud clearing of the throat caught both their attention and the two half-blood children of Poseidon turned around to find a pair of Oceanids standing there carrying a number of bags.
"Thekla, Estella?" Rhode gasped in surprise at seeing the two nymphs who had served as her handmaidens while she'd been in Atlantis. "What are you two doing here?"
"We went to collect your things from the Park Central," Thekla informed her with a smile as she patted the duffle bag she was passing to Estella.
"I'll help you put your things away, my lady." Estella said as she took the bag and pulled along the suitcase she'd had with her, as she entered Cabin Three. Tyson politely opened the door for her and earned himself a grateful smile from the nymph in the process.
"As for you Lord Percy, I would listen to your sister's advice." Thekla said with a scolding look on her face. "You have many non-human siblings. If you cannot learn to accept then, I fear things will be very difficult for you. For if you cannot trust family, then who can you trust?"
"Uh," Percy said lamely as he was put on the spot.
"Just think about it Percy." Rhode said with a sigh before walking towards Thekla. "You here long?"
"Only to help return the things you left behind I'm afraid, my lady." Thekla said with a shake of her head. "We can't be far from the ocean too long."
"That's a shame." Rhode said as she led the Oceanid inside Poseidon Cabin. "But you and Estella are here now, let's catch up for as long as we can."
"We would like nothing better," Thekla assured her as behind them she heard Percy apologize to Tyson.
The next day, deciding to help Tyson integrate into Camp a little better, Rhode brought him to the Camp forge.
"So Charlie, what do you think? Can Tyson help out around here?"
Charles Beckendorf, the buff African-American son of Hephaestus, who was running the forge for the day nodded.
"We can always use a hand," he said with a smile. "Especially one with the skill of a cyclops."
"Thanks Charlie. This means a lot. If you need me to do something-"
"Nah, Rhode, no worries. You just help keep the Campers in line. They need someone to listen to since Mr. D's rather hands off about it. And without Chiron around and his stand in being who he is, yeah you're basically in charge around Camp right now." The tall teen waved his large palm dismissively.
Rhode blushed at that but nodded. "I'll try."
"I can build things?" Tyson asked, pulling them both from their conversation.
Rhode tossed him a smile. "Sure thing big guy."
The lovable lug clapped his hands together and pulled Rhode into a large bear hug.
"Thank you!"
"N-No problem, big guy." Rhode patted his arm. "Just listen to Charlie. He's in charge when in the forge, okay?"
"Yes! I listen. Next time we maybe go pet ponies?" Tyson asked hopefully as they pulled apart.
Flóga and the other Pegasi like cyclopes only as far as they can throw them, which is not at all. Rhode thought with a wince that she only managed to hide from Tyson because he got distracted by Charlie showing him around the forge.
Getting the pegasi to agree to a visit from Tyson would take a lot of convincing. And bribes of food.
"Sure, I'll talk to them."
Tyson made a happy sound as Charlie began to show him the forge's furnace and Rhode turned to them with a smile.
She was about to walk over to join them when the mood was ruined by the hated voice of Tantalus calling out from the door of the forge.
"Ah, there you are Lady Rhode." The damned spirit said with a smarmy smile. "I have been looking for you."
For some reason the former king of Tantalis just got a kick out of calling her by her title as a formally adopted member of her Dad's court. All the time. And somehow made it sound dirty when doing so too.
"What do you want Tantalus?" Rhode asked, her arms crossed as she glared at the dead man.
"So cold! And here I was hoping you could look into getting the stables cleaned." Tantalus said, sounding pained. "After all, you wouldn't want to forget to do it and get marked down for it in the next inspection."
"Already on the list, sir." Rhode tensely. "Thank you."
"That wasn't a suggestion, dear." The acting Activities Director said, his demeanour changing in an instant to one of cold contempt. "I expect them spotless before the dinner bell tolls. Oh, and no magic."
Bastard just wants to get back at me because of the complaint Amphitrite made to Mr. D about hiring him. Rhode concluded as she clenched her fists in anger.
"That's in two hours," Rhode noted through gritted teeth. "And 'no magic'? That makes this a punishment. You really want to try that?"
"Oh, silly me! The concept of time just slips away when you pass on. And punishment? Heavens forbid! Nothing like manual labor to get one feeling like a contributing member of our fine Camp Half-Blood. Or what's left of it."
"My father and Amphitrite will hear about this," Rhode promised. "You know neither of them are happy you're here. They might not be able to do anything to you while Mr. D has your back, but once you get back to the Underworld… Well, my Uncle Hades and my Dad actually get along quite well."
The dead man flashed her a dark wicked smile. "Yes, but that is then, not now. Chop chop, my lady."
"Fine!" Rhode growled as she made to leave.
"I help Rhode," her brother said as he moved to join her but Rhode held up a hand to stop him.
"No, stay here and enjoy yourself." Rhode ordered. "I'll settle the stables. Take the time to convince the guys to not freak out when you visit too, so you can come next time. That good?"
Tyson looked torn, glancing between the forge and Rhode so she pushed him gently back towards Charlie who had been watching everything that had transpired with an unhappy look on his face.
"Charlie, watch him for me?" She asked with a smile.
"Ahem! Time's a wastin, as they say, Lady Rhode." Tantalus chimed in venomously.
Rhode shot him a glare and turned to head towards the stables.
Tantalus was not done being a dick though as demonstrated by his decision to reintroduce chariot races to Camp. Why he would reintroduce something that got banned for being too dangerous in a Camp that trained Heroes to fight monsters was beyond her. Well, not really. The dick, and Mr. D too, probably just wanted to see Campers die in a legal manner. But that no one on Olympus objected enough to stop him was just insane. She knew her Dad and Amphitrite had complained, again, but besides them none of the other gods seemed to care. Well, except for Demeter.
By Tartarus, Amphitrite had told her Demeter was going through a possible Grainzilla moment on Olympus over Tantalus being at Camp. Or close to one at least. But again, none of the other gods seemed to care!
But back to the upcoming races! Rhode, Percy, Annabeth and Tyson had decided to work together as a team. The plan was to have Rhode and Tyson help out with the construction and let Percy and Annabeth to actually take part in the race as the fighter and driver respectively
"Rhode, I still think you should compete with Percy in the race proper." Bethy said as the two girls took a break while the boys put on the chariot's wheels. The girls having finished their work on the carriage ahead of schedule had been waved away when they'd offered to help the boys. This despite the bags under Percy's eyes he was getting thanks to all the strange dreams of Grover he was having. Something about some fleece, and a evil cyclops holding him captive? Percy couldn't make sense of it all, much less explain it properly.
"It's fine." Rhode said, setting aside her worries over Percy's dreams even as she waved Annabeth's concern away. "I'm honestly not too interested in this race business. I don't wanna give Mr. D or Tantalus the satisfaction. I'm only helping out 'cos you guys are into it."
Bethy frowned but nodded.
"Okay, but letting a cyclops help? Is that a good idea?" The daughter of Athena asked, eyeing Tyson warily.
"We've been over this Bethy." Rhode said with a tired sigh. "I know you don't trust cyclopes. After what we've seen they can do. After what they did to us, I can totally understand."
And the less said about that the better. Some of the things Rhode, Bethy and the others had seen evil cyclopes get up to whilst they'd been making their way to Camp Half-Blood was stomach churning.
"But Tyson isn't like those cyclopes." Rhode continued after just barely managing to avoid shuddering at unpleasant memories. "He's, for lack of a better word, a good cyclops."
"If you say so," Bethy said uncertainly.
"Trust me," Rhode assured her little sister in all but blood, giving the younger girl's shoulder a squeeze.
"Is Annabeth venting to you about not trusting Tyson again?" Percy asked with a frown as he and their aforementioned monstrous brother walked over.
"Yeah," Rhode confessed easily.
"I'm sorry about other cyclopes being evil." Tyson said, turtling in on himself, looking pained. "Again."
Bethy to her credit just sighed. "I know. It's just knowing something doesn't make it easier to change my feelings, okay? Give me time."
"Take all time you need." Tyson said, offering her a big smile that Bethy, much to Rhode's satisfaction, tentatively returned.
"So we're done for the day?" Rhode asked Tyson. He was after all the chief engineer of their little project.
"Think so." Her brother said after eyeing their progress critically for a moment. "We do good work today."
"Great," Rhode said as she leapt off the stool she'd been sitting on and stretched a little. "Then I'm gonna go. Su wanted me to help her with some potions making."
All three of Rhode's siblings exchanged knowing looks, yes even Tyson, and she couldn't help but pout at them in reply.
"It's not a date." She insisted. "With the Hecate kids all gone and Lee too, the two of us are the last witches in Camp. Someone has to help Cabin Seven restock their supply of wizarding potions. And you can't expect me to just let Su do it all alone."
"Whatever you say Rhode," Bethy teased. "Whatever you say. Just don't mix too much together."
Huffing in indignation that they didn't believe her, Rhode stalked off to her totally not a date appointment with Su.
"Su, when did we get a potions lab?" Rhode asked somewhat incredulously as she stepped into an underground cellar set up as just that inside the Big House.
"Since Cabin Seven fell in love with wizarding healing potions." Su said with a shrug. "It's usually run by the Hecate kids but since they all ran off to join the Titans…"
Rhode growled at the reminder but quickly dismissed her anger. She'll save it for when she could crack some Hecate kids skulls.
"So why am I learning about this now?" She asked instead.
"The Hecate kids treated this place practically like their sanctum. They never let anyone else in even other Campers who were wizards and witches." Su said as she walked over to look at a cauldron full of a bubbling potion. "I only took over, like I said, after they ran off."
"And why wasn't I let down here in the months since they did?" Rhode asked, her arms crossed and looking at Su questioningly.
"You suck at potions Rhode," Su reminded her. "And you hate brewing. If I didn't absolutely need the help today to meet Cabin Seven's demand now that summer has started I wouldn't have asked you."
"Let's start on some Wiggenweld Potion." Rhode deflected with rosy cheeks, embarrassed by Su's entirely accurate assessment of her brewing skills. "I'll prep the dry ingredients and you can brew the batch."
"Sure, they'll need a new batch of it." Su agreed even as she had Helel grow a few vines from out of her blouse and had them start bottling the potion she had been examining.
"Is that Skele-Gro?" Rhode asked curiously as she walked over to a recognisable ingredients cabinet to start putting together what she needed for the Wiggenweld Potion.
"Yes, I'm just getting it prepared in case we have some maiming during the chariot races." Su nodded with a grumpy pout on her face. "I think it's stupid that that man reintroduced them."
"Preaching to the choir here, Su." Rhode replied as she walked over to a workstation with a basket full of the ingredients she'd just picked out. "But everyone else is totally hyped out about it. So…"
"Yeah, even my Cabin is somewhat enthused about it despite our Mum's history with that scoundrel." Su said with a sigh as she left Helel to his bottling and walked over to examine the contents of the cauldron next to it. "Katie has them building a chariot to compete too."
"Katie is?" Rhode asked, surprised. "Not you?"
"I refused to participate." Su explained with a huff as she nodded at the potion she had been examining. "This Wound-Cleaning Potion is ready for bottling too. Rhode, help with that while I brew the Wiggenweld?"
"Sure," Rhode agreed. "Let me finish the ingredients prep first."
"Here, let me help with that." Su said as she joined Rhode to do just that.
"So what else are we brewing today?" Rhode asked as they worked.
"Besides the Wiggenweld, I'm thinking a new batch of Skele-Gro and Wound-Cleaning Potion plus a Fire-Breathing Potion."
"Are you really brewing a Fire-Breathing Potion?" Rhode asked, looking to her friend in surprise. "Who requested that? Couldn't have been Cabin Seven."
"While I'm not a fan of fire, it could be useful to have." Su reasoned simply. "And it was Cabin Five. Who else could it have been?"
"Of course they would ask for it." The tanned girl chuckled as she went back to her prep work. "Have you been able to talk to your dad lately?"
"Yeah," Su said with a nod. "He's not happy I decided to stay in Camp and not go find a job or pursue my NEWTs. Apparently, homeschooling for my high school diploma in Camp isn't good enough for him."
Rhode blinked. "He didn't strike me as the type to make an issue of these kinda things."
"He's Chinese, of course he takes issue with me 'not being serious about my studies'. The stereotype of us Chinese being obsessed about our kids doing well in their studies is totally true. For a lot of us at least. My Dad isn't as bad as some, but he does feel that way too."
"Sorry to hear you and your Dad aren't getting along," Rhode told her friend honestly. "So, um, anything else has happened to you lately that I don't know about?"
Su shot her an amused look. "Rhode, we live in Camp together. You know almost everything I do, the same way I do about you."
"Yeah, but there's some things I might've missed?" Rhode asked with a nervous laugh.
Su just giggled at Rhode before shaking her head. "No, nothing that I can think of. You?"
Rhode considered the matter for a moment before she shook her head too. "Guess you're right. We do know practically everything we each get up to."
They worked in companionable silence after that until they were ready to start brewing.
"Hey Su, want to let me have a try at brewing?" Rhode asked tentatively. "Wiggenweld isn't too difficult."
"Sure," Su said, offering Rhode a brilliant smile. "Let me help you with the stirring okay. You know how important that is to the Wiggenweld."
Rhode blushed at that, but nodded.
Su's tinkerbell-like giggle at her reaction just made her blush harder.
Rhode watched the chariot races from the stands in the hippodrome that Cabin Nine had constructed for the event. She was disinterested in the whole event and was just there to support Percy and Annabeth. She had Tyson near her, just in case. Tantalus had it in for him, and her to a lesser extent, and she wasn't about to take any risks.
"Huh, what is that?" A son of Apollo asked as he pointed at something in the sky at about the halfway mark of the race.
Rhode was among one of the many others who turned to see what had caught the boy's attention and spotted a churning dark cloud flying towards them. No, not a cloud. A flock of birds.
Birds which were now dive-bombing them. Literally. The whole front portion of the flock dived down like living arrows at the Campers. Caught completely off guard, many were unable to react in time and were hit. Metallic beaks piercing flesh and eliciting cries of agony from the pigeon-like monsters' unfortunate victims.
"We're under attack!" Someone, a Camper from Cabin Ten if Rhode remembered correctly, shouted, jogging the last few stunned Campers out of their reverie and into action.
"Bring the injured here!" Rhode heard Su shout as she summoned Spellbound - she never left her Cabin without it - and tried to fend off a trio of the birds attacking her, but the damnably agile things just flew around her attempts like she wasn't even trying. Thankfully, Tyson- in a demonstration of incredible hand-eye coordination- swatted the trio into gold dust with just a couple swings of his huge hands.
"Thanks Tyson," Rhode told her brother with a nod as she surveyed the beleaguered hippodrome where Campers, both charioteers out in the track and the spectators in the stands, were desperately trying to fight off the birds. "Watch my back."
"Always," her brother rumbled happily as he swatted at the birds coming at her, ignoring how they were trying and largely failing to pierce his own thick cyclops hide.
Rhode offered him a smile as she quickly catalogued what was going on. Mr D. was, of course, unbothered inside his VIP booth and was watching the chaos whilst looking giddy with amusement. Tantalus had vanished but who cared about that waste of space! Most of the charioteers, excepting the Ares chariot, had abandoned the race and were desperately trying to fight off the birds with whatever weapons they had on hand. Considering they'd all stocked up for the race, they were doing okay.
The audience however were not. Most of them had come unarmed and were thoroughly unprepared for the attack. A group of Hermes kids had made a break for the armory under the guard of some of those with their weapons, but mostly everyone was fighting unarmed with whatever powers they had. And generally doing a bad job of it. Rhode hated to say it but outside of a few exceptions most half-bloods rarely got powers that could easily be used offensively in a direct fashion.
"Bring the injured over here!" Rhode heard Su shout again and turned to see her wearing her Ent golem like the Hulkbuster Iron Man suit and Helel's vines writhing around it as she used both to kill any bird that got close to her, while shielding a makeshift triage station run by a few Apollo kids.
She's got that covered. Rhode concluded with pride at how badass her friend looked. Now, I just need to figure out what these damned things are and how to beat them!
Meanwhile, as she thought, she continued to help out as best as she could.
"Sagitta Infernum (Arrow Hell)!" She cast, sending as many arcane arrows as she could pump out of the spell flying and shooting down two dozen of the monstrous pigeons. This barely did any good though as the birds' numbers barely took a hit, it did cause a small shower of metallic beaks to fall to the ground as spoils though.
"Tyson, what are those beaks made of?" Rhode asked her brother curiously as she tugged hard on any water nearby with her hydrokinesis and pulled together a small puddle from abandoned water bottles to use as ammunition.
"Celestial Bronze." Her cyclopean brother informed her with barely a glance at one of the aforementioned beaks.
"Birds with Celestial Bronze beaks? These are Stymphalian Birds!" Rhode realized as her stomach dropped as she recalled from her lessons that if they didn't fend these monsters off they would, in the words of Emily way back when, "strip their victims to the bone".
"Tyson go grab me a son of Apollo," she ordered even as she was busy firing off a barrage of icicles she'd made of her collected water with swings of Spellbound.
"But who watch your back?" Tyson asked worriedly.
"I'll be fine," Rhode reassured him as she pulled even more water from abandoned water bottles to her and had them swirl around her in a protective vortex. "Go!"
Tyson frowned but nodded and ran off, swatting at any Stymphalian Bird foolish enough to get within his range.
As he ran off, Rhode spotted one of the chariots riding away from the track and whilst sending another storm of icicles at the Birds turned to see Percy and Annabeth ride off towards the Big House for some reason.
They better have some kinda plan. Rhode thought with a growl, because if they were abandoning the fight. They would be having words after all this was over.
It was a few minutes and a couple refills to her dwindling supply of water when Tyson returned with a battered looking Micheal Yew.
"Michael, I need you to sing." She told the boy without preamble. "We need music to drive these things off."
"Uh, how am I gonna sing loud enough to manage that?" Michael asked incredulously as Tyson slapped a Stymphalian Bird going for a hit to the son of Apollo's head right out of the air and into gold dust.
"Sonorus," Rhode cast absently as she fired off another barrage of icicles. "That should fix the volume problem. Now sing!"
Michael looked skeptical but obliged and the Amplifying Charm did its job, transforming his voice into something straight out of a concert venue's sound system, working wonders to startle the Stymphalian Birds and leave them vulnerable to the Campers' counterattack. Things only got worse for the monsters when Percy and Annabeth drove back to the hippodrome whilst blasting Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin from Chiron's collection at them from a portable stereo.
Thanks to their combined effort, the Birds were dealt with within minutes, just enough time for Clarisse's Cabin Five chariot - the only one still in the race - to pull across the finish line.
It was at this point that Tantalus crawled out from under whatever rock he'd been hiding under throughout the monster attack and stood up.
"And the winner of the Chariot Race is Cabin Five!" The insane spirit said from out of the blue.
Everyone, even Clarisse and her driver, looked at him incredulously.
"What are you all staring at me for?" The former king snapped. "Applaud the victor!"
All the Campers exchanged confused looks but starting with those from Ares Cabin, one by one they all started clapping.
Tantalus needs to go. Rhode thought as she too clapped. We almost all got killed and he doesn't care, and thinks his stupid race is more important? We need to get rid of him and fast. But how to do that and not piss off Mr. D...
As much as the god seemed to dislike the spirit. And his constant ribbing of the man was proof of that. Tantalus was still Mr. D's hire and Camp was his domain. Doing anything against the spirit without the god's approval would just get her pummeled. Again.
One time was good enough, thank you very much. Rhode thought with a wince as she recalled the beating Mr. D had given her the last time she had defied him.
The matter was taken out of her hands when suddenly a pillar of grain grew out of nowhere and out of it strode a furious looking Demeter who was glaring at Mr. D.
"Dionysus, enough is enough!" The goddess of agriculture roared, the corncomb crown she wore popping kernels, leaving a popcorn trail behind her. "I can understand, if not condone, if you want to use that wretch-" The angry goddess took a moment to glare at a trembling Tantalus before jerking away from him to level her fellow Olympian with her furious gaze. "-as some kind of statement about your authority here at Camp! But! You will not do so at the expense of its safety. Do something about its failing wards! Now!"
"And what exactly Aunt, do you want me to do?" Mr. D asked lazily, sipping from his Diet Coke without a care in the world.
"Send out a Quest to find something to heal that tree." Demeter shot back.
"And what could do that?" Mr. D said with a shrug.
"The Golden Fleece!" Percy shouted suddenly. "Grover's found it. I saw it through our empathic link. If we can just find him, we can find the Fleece. It's got powerful healing magic, right? It can heal Thalia's Tree!"
"The Golden Fleece? I suppose that would work." Mr. D said, humming thoughtfully.
"Of course it would work." Demeter sniffed at her fellow Olympian.
"The question," Tantalus started, earning a glare from Demeter that almost, but only almost, had him cowering.
"Were you given permission to speak, creature?" Demeter sneered.
"I am, by Lord Dionysus' grace, Camp's Activities Director, Lady Demeter, if we are issuing a Quest then it is my right to have a say."
"Yes, the only thing preventing me from sending your soul back to my brother and needling him to make your afterlife worse." The goddess of agriculture sweetly pointed out.
"Regardless," Tantalus said after a nervous gulp. "We have no idea where the Fleece or this Grover satyr Jackson speaks of are."
"30, 31, 75, 12!" Annabeth shouted. "That's where they are. The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. You know they can't be wrong."
"Bah, they could be sending you to a Starbucks for all you know." Dionysus snorted. "Wouldn't be the first time, I swear. You make one joke and they give you the wrong directions."
"Nephew," Demeter said with a growl as she shot the younger Olympian the darkest look yet. "Stop playing games. Unless you want Camp to fall and your father to punish you for that, I advise you to take this seriously."
Mr. D's eyes narrowed in anger at the threat but nevertheless nodded.
"Tantalus, pick our Questers."
It was a snub to Demeter. He knew it, she knew it. Everyone did. But besides the corncobs in Demeter's hair popping even more violently and showering the ground with a new carpet of popcorn, no one said a thing.
"Hmm… I think the choice is obvious. Clarisse! As winner of the chariot race, you will lead this quest." Tantalus said with a smirk.
"You can't be serious!" Rhode shouted, no longer able to contain her anger. "I'm a daughter of Poseidon. I know nautical coordinates. Those were for the Sea of Monsters! And you aren't picking the obvious choices for a Quest into it!?"
"The girl has a point." Demeter said, as she pointed at Rhode and Percy, a look of disbelief on her face. "Seriously? Sea of Monsters, the ocean, and that's how it's going to go down?"
Of course all the other Campers seemed to join in the goddess bandwagon and booed the choice.
"If the sea brats want to go they can join if Casper chooses them as her Questmates," Mr. D said disinterestedly. "But otherwise, the choice is made. Live with it. Claire, do you accept the Quest?"
"I do Lord Dionsyus." Clarisse said enthusiastically.
"Good, good." Mr. D said with a lazy wave of his hand as he stood to leave. "Then it's settled. Tantalus, I leave the rest of this to you."
With that he teleported away, Demeter following after him but not before shooting Tantalus one last glare.
"Now then Clarisse, why don't you start getting ready for your Quest. Everyone else, clean up the mess and disperse." With that Tantalus sauntered off, presumably towards the kitchen to try and fail at getting something to eat.
Rhode spat angrily in his direction before turning to help with cleaning up after the Stymphalian Birds.
After the Campers dispersed, Rhode was heading back to her cabin alone - Tyson had opted to go help Percy and Annabeth put away their Cabin's chariot - when Clarisse ran up to her.
"Rhode, wait up." The daughter of Ares said, halting her quick steps. "Listen, I get you're pissed, but I wanted to ask you to join me on the quest. I mean, out of everyone here, you've got the most experience for quests, so having you along would be kind of cool or whatever."
The rough daughter of Ares seemed to be shifting where she stood, looking incredibly nervous.
"Pissed?" Rhode asked, an eyebrow raised. "That's putting it mildly. Did you know Chrysomallus was one of my brothers? You're going to recover his fleece, to save my sister, in a sea and I'm not going! I'm beyond pissed."
By the end of her little rant, the whole area around them was covered in frost but neither demigoddess paid it any mind.
"That's why I want you along. You're like the most badass bitch in the whole Camp. Who better to go on it with me?" The younger girl reiterated.
"No," Rhode said, shaking her head. "I have other plans. Besides, I will not give Tantalus or Mr. D the satisfaction of doing what they want me to. I have my pride dammit."
That she was too angry at both of them to allow it went unsaid.
"You don't think I can do it, do you?" The stringy brown haired girl grunted, a sour look on her face.
Pinching her nose, Rhode said. "That's not what I meant Clarisse."
"No, but you're thinking it. Just like how everyone booed me, thinking I'm not good enough…" The stocky girl balled her hands into fists, knuckles white. "Fine, whatever… I'll just prove you and these other morons wrong. I'll save Camp and show you what I've got."
"Clarisse!" She called out, but the daughter of war had already turned and ran off towards her cabin. "Fuck."
That night, Rhode along with Percy, Annabeth and Tyson made their way down to the beach with the full intention of sneaking out on an unsanctioned Quest of their own.
"Okay, time to show off that Atlantean magic I was telling you about over Christmas Percy." Rhode said with a grin as she stretched her hands out over the Sound. "Επικαλούνται: Βασίλισσα του Αιγαίου (Epikaloúmai: Vasílissa tou Aigaíou/ Invoke: Queen of the Aegean)!"
At her incantation, a trireme made of ice sailed smoothly out of the water to anchor itself right by the shore where they were all standing.
"Wow! Cool!" Percy said, his eyes twinkling with awe. "We're gonna sail into the Sea of Monsters in that!?"
"Yup! So get aboa-"
"Wait just a minute!" A voice said and they all spun towards it to see Hermes hovering in the air just behind them with his winged sandals.
Seeing the god, Rhode felt both heartache and fury at Hermes' arrival. "What in the Pit are you doing here, Hermes?"
Fuck, why did Luke have to look so much like his father? It hurt just seeing that face right now.
The god of travel held up his hands, "Rhode, I just want to-
"Talk? Talk about what? No, it's time you listen! You don't get to weasel out of this!" Rhode hissed as she approached the god, jabbing her finger into his chest. "This! Luke! Thalia getting poisoned it's all your fault. It's all 'cos Luke went off the deep end and the only reason he did that is because you didn't take the time to give a damn and actually take care of him! You managed to do it for Sue Lilly, why couldn't you do it for Luke!?"
Ice crystals clung to her cheeks as her anger was so potent her tears of rage froze on contact.
Everyone else looked at Rhode like she was crazy to shout at a god but Hermes just stayed silent and took the scolding.
"You're right. Completely so." Hermes said with a tired nod. "But I did try. Not enough. Never enough. But I did. And I will keep trying."
"Well good for you, but I doubt he's taking your calls right now." Rhode scorned as she resisted the urge to punch him just for having the same face as his son. Fuck, why did it hurt so much...
"Lord Hermes, what do you mean?" Annabeth asked, nudging Rhode and causing her to obligingly shut up. She was done anyways.
"What I propose is that I sanction your Quest to the Sea of Monsters, on one condition."
"What condition?" Percy asked warily.
"That you make a pitstop, of sorts, on the way there. You see that cruise ship out in the bay?" Hermes said pointing at a nondescript cruise ship further out in New York Sound. "That's the Princess Andromeda, Luke is onboard that."
"You want us to go talk to him?" Annabeth asked with a frown.
"Yes, and try and convince him to abandon Grandfather and return to the side of Olympus." Hermes said with a nod and looked to Rhode and Annabeth hopefully. "If anyone can hope to change his mind it's his little sisters."
"No. I'm not going. You can silver tongue them, but I'm not… I'm not going along with it." Rhode said, glaring at the god.
Hermes wore a frown at that, a sad glint in those eyes. Luke's eyes. Fuck, just seeing the god was stirring up all these ugly emotions in her. Yet he nodded. "That's fine, you are a half-blood Rhode, you can go wherever and challenge whoever. As is your right. Annabeth?"
Bethy looked at Rhode for a long moment before turning back to the god. "I'll go."
"And I'll go too." Percy spoke up quickly. "You'll need the backup."
"Me too," the cyclops chimed in, raising his right hand eagerly.
"And what if he happens to kill them?" Rhode darkly asked the god. "I wonder how Dad and Bethy's mum would feel about that."
"It is their choice," Hermes told her. "Just as it is yours not to go with them."
Rhode hesitated. Considering the matter. It would really be safer if they all went together but… She couldn't bring herself to. One, this was a distraction from recovering the Golden Fleece. Two, she didn't want to dance to Hermes' tune. She might not blame him as much as her angry rant had seemed - She totally knew he'd tried his best and Luke still hated him - but that didn't mean she absolved him of all blame. And most importantly, she honestly wasn't sure she was ready to face Luke again.
A part of her was too frightened to see how much further he had darkened because of her Grandfather's machinations.
"I'm still out." Rhode reaffirmed for the second time.
Hermes breathed out a disappointed sigh but nodded in acceptance.
"Here take these," Hermes said, handing Percy, Annabeth and Tyson a bottle of magical vitamins and a thermos. "You'll need them."
"Rated to cure all magical curses and ailments?" Annabeth asked, reading the label of the vitamins' bottle.
Hermes just smiled enigmatically.
"A thermos?" Percy asked, looking at the thing curiously.
"It's filled with wind. Just twist the lid slightly and be very careful about it." Hermes warned before surveying his three Questers one last time before vanishing.
"Uh, think you can make us another boat?" Percy asked as he looked at Rhode pleadingly.
"No," she said, affirming her decision for the third time. "I refuse to help Hermes with this."
Percy sighed but nodded and turned to look at the sea.
"Uh, Dad, some help instead?"
As if they had been waiting for this as a cue, three hippocampi emerged from the waves at that moment and offered Percy, Annabeth and Tyson a ride.
Seeing them reminded her of Skittles, a loss due to the fucking sword Luke now owned.
As they mounted the hippocampi, all three of them looked at Rhode one last time but she ignored them to board her own icy trireme.
She thus did not see her siblings leave. It wasn't a problem. She was sure they'd survive and make it into the Sea of Monsters. She just had to do the same.
"Time to head to the Clashing Rocks."
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
This chapter, whoo! Now was this an epic start to book two or what? Sea of Monsters is a go people, so strap in for this wild and crazy ride, because Rhode does not half ass during her quests.
Nameless: Yes, enjoy the ride. It's gonna be glorious!
I'm just going to dish on how cute Rhode and Su are once again. Not even officially together, yet their chemistry still makes me smile. Of course, the not date was a complete success in Su's eyes. Along with Rhode just dishing with her dad and her stepmom who is now like her own mother (Sorry not sorry Lily), Rhode's relationships are so much fun to expand on. Even her relationship with Luke which has deteriorated, as seen in her interaction with Hermes. Just how much seeing the god who Luke got his looks from affects her, much less trying to talk with him. It's the little things, you know?
Nameless: By the way, that spear wielding cynocephalus? He's their version of Oberyn Martell, so expect him to show up again. Maybe. On a broader note, some might be wondering why the Triumvirate were attacking Camp out of order from canon. Well… With Camp's wards weakened and monsters attacking it on the regular, a little probing attack wouldn't catch anyone's attention would it? At least that's how we see it. We might follow up on it. Or not. If we don't, then chalk it up to this just being a random band of opportunistic cynocephali.
So a number of reviewers have raised concerns about how Dionsyus smacked Rhode around in the last chapter and I have addressed them in PMs wherever possible, but here is a summary of our view on the matter:
1) Camp is Dionysus' domain. Perhaps more importantly, Zeus put him there. Removing him, and to a lesser extent questioning D's authority over Camp, will thus be seen by Zeus as an affront against himself. And we all know how fragile Zeus' ego is and how likely he is to lash out if provoked. This includes Rhode calling down help from other gods in the middle of their little spat.
2) Why didn't Rhode use her Pallas Armor? Note that she rushed out of her Cabin where she'd been working on homework. She was not fully equipped for a Quest, she simply did not have it on hand when she decided to pick a fight with Mr. D.
3) Rhode fell into the Sound for a reason. ;) D is pissed, not stupid. And whilst he's not a god of prophecy, as Riordan established in canon, all gods have some degree of prescience. He thus knows not to incapacitate her. The beating he gave her was a reminder to not be uppity, nothing more. As this chapter has shown there was no long term or even medium term damage done to her.
4) Yes, Dionysus' actions will have consequences but this will be for his actions for the whole year including hiring Tantalus. You've seen it already. Having Demeter and the core members of the House of Atlantis (Poseidon, Amphitrite and Triton) pissed at him is not something that even he can just brush off. Though if you're thinking of more direct consequences, keep in mind the previous two points and how they would temper any responses against him.
Ok, I think that covers anything. If we left anything out, do feel free to leave a review and/or PM us and we can discuss it. But overall, we think our reasoning is sound and have seen no counter arguments to justify any changes. So things stay as is.
E4E: You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!