Welcome everyone to chapter 30!

Ooh! Things are getting intense! I freaking love suspense and intensity! I personally think I did this chapter pretty well. It's gonna be super short though because the next one is pretty long.

I hope you enjoy and let's get right into this!


It took a really long time for Amira to stop crying.

It was hard to reign in her tears as fear shook her body. She took several deep breaths to try to calm herself before realizing that she needed to tell Annabeth that they no longer had a day to figure out how to stop Tartarus but hours. So she slowly got to her feet. Her hands were still shaking terribly.

Looking at her waist, she saw that she still was missing her sword belt that held Arvindr and her dagger. She remembered Murtagh taking them from her and knew she had to return to camp in order to get it back. So she raised her trembling hands to her pendant and closed her eyes. A moment later Amira felt the sun on her saw that she stood beside the hearth at Camp Half-Blood, unarmed and in plain sight, yet no one attacked. She frowned. Where was everyone?

Well, everyone besides the campers she cast her spell on.

"Annabeth?" She called out, no longer caring if anyone heard her. There was too little time to waste on avoiding being noticed. She received no answer so she called out again. "Annabeth! Murtagh? Leo? Anyone?!"

Amira looked around the cabins, trying to remember which one was dedicated to Annabeth's godly parent, Athena she remembered. She noticed a grey cabin that reminded her of Annabeth's eyes and ran there. She opened the door without knocking but saw no one inside.

"Annabeth, are you here?" She called. No answer. She growled left, slamming the door shut behind her. Where could they have gone?

Amira perked up when she heard faint talking. It was so quiet that anyone else would have missed it but she had the heightened senses of a half-elf Rider. The voice was low enough that she was only able to hear the sound of their voice and not their words. She turned and quickly followed the direction of the sound. It was coming from the direction of Long Island Sound beach so she quickly ran over, the voice growing louder with each step. Then she saw the owner of the voice and skidded to a stop.

Annabeth was sitting on the beach, facing the water with her knees pulled to her chest as the ocean licked at her bare feet. The daughter of Athena was staring at an image in front of her. A portable light sat beside her and shone on the mist the ocean created, forming a rainbow. Amira realized it was an Iris message.

Amira felt her soul ache as Annabeth stared longingly at an image of Percy. The son of Poseidon was laughing with his signature smirk as he walked beside someone Amira was unable to see.

"I miss you, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth sighed, speaking to Percy despite him being unable to hear her. "I swear it's like you and Jason being swapped all over again. I mean, two and a half weeks away from you without being able to talk… I can't- it's hard. We were just getting used to having a life together. But it just had to end. Nothing good ever lasts with us."

Amira watched silently as Annabeth wiped her tearing eyes. Her heart beat painfully as she realized what her being on Earth meant to people: Eragon was spending every ounce of his energy trying to find a way to bring her back, Nico and Frank thought their sister and girlfriend was dead, Murtagh was trapped in a land away from home, all of Earth was in danger of being taken over, and Annabeth had been separated from the person who meant the most to her.

"The good news though is that Hazel's alive." Annabeth continued, voice sad but trying to sound strong. "Reyna's helping her fly over right now but I haven't told our friends yet, just as a precaution. I miss you, Percy. It's hard being strong when the person you're strong for isn't around."

Amira felt bad for eavesdropping and decided to make herself known.

"Annabeth?" She called out.

The blonde quickly jumped up and swiped her hand through the rainbow, spinning around as though she were embarrassed.

"Amira? You're supposed to be stalling. What are you doing here?" She asked with a frown as the former Rider neared.

"I was wrong, we now have but hours! Where are Murtagh and the others?" Amira's word tumbled from her mouth as she rushed to the blonde.

"Hours! What happened to a day?!" The half-blood exclaimed. Amira shook her head. "I- I sent them to Manhattan to try to get their mind off Hazel. But I know Piper's number so I'll call them real quick and tell them to get back."

Amira nodded and the two rushed back to camp.

Annabeth burst into the Big House and ran to find the landline phone. She grabbed it and quickly dialed a number. Amira wanted to ask about how the phone worked but held back, knowing they didn't have the time. Annabeth waited a second before Piper picked up.

"Piper? You all need to get back to camp right now. I'll explain everything later but you need to hurry." She told her friend before she could talk. She paused for a moment. "Pi- Piper. Piper, I'll explain everything when you get here." Another pause. "Look all I'm gonna say is that we have less time than we thought. Just come back to camp and hurry!"

Annabeth hung up the phone without waiting for a response. She dialed another number and a moment later Amira heard a different voice answer.

"Hey, it's Annabeth. How far away from camp are you?" Annabeth asked. A pause. "Reyna, we don't have that much time. You need to find some way to get here faster." Short pause. "I don't know- wait, hold on… Where are you now? Indianapolis? Okay new plan: instead of getting on the next flight, I need you and Hazel to wait there. Nico will be back at camp soon and I'll explain everything to him so he can come and get you." Longer pause. "I don't know! He might but it's a risk we have to take. Besides, if I tell him that Hazel's okay then there's no way we'd be able to stop him from going." Longest pause. "Okay yeah. Wait by the entrance and I'll send Nico over. I got to go so make sure Hazel knows too. Kay, bye."

Annabeth hung up the phone and turned to Amira.

"The others are on their way back. Reyna and Hazel are in Indianapolis, which is about halfway between L.A. and here, so Nico will Shadow Travel over and get them." She reported. Amira nodded then paused.

"Will he have the strength to do so?" She wondered. Annabeth shrugged, uncertainty on her face.

"I don't know. Coach Hedge said something before about Reyna being able to share her strength so maybe she'll do that again. It honestly doesn't matter how they do it as long as they get here." She explained.

"Who is… never mind. You are correct," Amira agreed, "He told me that I have not much time."

She followed as Annabeth moved to the porch while they sat to wait.

"Speaking of which, what did he say?" The demigod wondered. Amira sighed and explained her conversation with the primordial. She could see the blonde's face paling with each word. The half-blood nodded slowly after she finished. "So… you mean to tell me that you have "a few hours'' to figure out how to either willingly give up your body or until he takes you by force?"

"Yes." Amira agreed grimly. "I shall never surrender myself willingly to one such as him so we have only until he chooses for my time to end." She then winced and dropped her gaze. "I… when Hazel and I first discussed the possibility of this happening, I began forming a plan that I only realized when he confirmed our suspicion."

Amira thought of something Eragon had once told her, right after the battle against Glbratorix had ended.

"Somewhere, somehow, everyone will die. And whether you are a king on a battlefield or a peasant among your family, you will die alone. It is a sad thing but no one can accompany you into the void."

She remembered how terrified she had been by his words; it was such a depressing thought even if it was a fact. Every living thing, person, or creature will someday die. It's an inevitable part of life so why try to fight it?

So with an aching heart and shaking hands, Amira told Annabeth her plan.

"What?! Are you serious?!" The daughter of Athena's exclaimed after she had explained. Amira nodded sadly. "Amira, I can't let you do that, it's insane!"

"Trust me, I am fully aware. Besides..." The former Rider attempted at a smile, remembering what a certain son of Poseidon had told her. "'The craziest plans are the ones that usually work out in the end.'"

"Yeah but… but a-are you sure you could pull it off? O-Or that you would even want to? Cuz I don't want you to! I- I-" Annabeth stuttered and searched for words that wouldn't come to her. The purple-haired Alagaesian shrugged, knowing what she was trying to say.

"Perhaps. Do not confuse my words, I want this no more than you. Unless you have another idea… this is the best chance that we have."

Annabeth buried her face in her hands.

"I swear every adventure we have ends like this." She muttered. Her voice was muffled slightly but Amira could hear it quivering. She placed a hand on her back in comfort, praying that she had the strength to complete her prophecy.

The world was in danger and Amira had to save it.


And that concludes the thirtieth chapter of A Strange and Different Land!

Thank you all for reading and I hope you chose to continue the story. Please feel free to leave a review. Criticism, advice, compliments, or corrections are welcome.

Have a good one and I'll see you later!