I can't see reviews at the moment, so will respond when they pop up! Like, seriously though? It's a problem this website has had FOREVER, why can't they get it fixed? D:

He had the Field of Mars all to himself. There were no war games scheduled that evening, so he could frolic through the wasteland to his heart's content, admiring the wreckage of chariots, broken battlements, smouldering pits and trenches filled with sharpened spikes. Another romantic sunset stroll wasted because he had no one to share it with.

He climbed an old siege tower and sat facing the northern hills. With a deep breath, he reached into his quiver and pulled out the Arrow of Dodona. He had gone several days without having to consult his annoying, far-sighted projectile weapon, which he considered a triumph, but now, gods help him, he could think of no-one else to turn to.

"I need help." He said. The arrow remained silent, perhaps stunned by the admission. Or, more likely, he had pulled out the wrong arrow and was talking to an everyday, pointy projectile.

Finally, the shaft rattled in his hand. Its voice resonated in his mind like a thespian tuning fork.

THY WORDS ARE TRUE. BUT IN WHAT SENSE MEANEAST THOU?

"I… I am supposed to show strength." He said. "According to Lupa, I'm supposed to save the day somehow, or the pack- New Rome- will die. But how do I do that?" He told the arrow everything it had missed over the past few days- the eurynomoi, his dreams of the emperors and Tarquin, his conversation with Lupa, Louisa's antics in the battle and saving Jason and her consequential condition, the quest from the Roman senate. To his surprise, it felt good to pour out his troubles. Considering the arrow didn't have ears, it was a very good listener. It never looked bored or shocked or disgusted because it didn't have a face either. "I crossed the Tiber alive," he summed up, "just like the prophecy said. Now, how do I 'start to jive'? Does this mortal body have a reset switch?"

I SHALL THINK UPON THIS, the arrow buzzed.

"That's it? No advice? No snarky comments?"

GIVE ME TIME TO CONSIDER, O IMPATIENT LESTER.

"But I don't have time. We're leaving for Tarquin's tomb in, like-" He glanced to the west, where the sun was beginning to set. "-basically now!"

THE JOURNEY INTO THE TOMB WILL NOT BE THY FINAL CHALLENGE. UNLESS THOU SUCKEST MOST WOEFULLY.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

FIGHT NOT THE KING. HEAREST THOU WHAT THOU NEEDEST, AND SKEDADDLETH.

"Did you seriously just use the term 'skedaddleth'?"

I TRY TO SPEAK PLAINLY TO THEE, TO GRANT THEE A BOON, AND STILL THOU COMPLAINEST. I SEETH NOW WHY THY COUSIN WISHES TO DECAPITATE THEE.

"Don't take her side! I appreciate a good boon as much as the next person, but if I'm going to contribute to this quest and not just cower in the corner, I need to know how-" His voice cracked. "How to be me again." The vibration of the arrow felt almost like a cat purring.

ART THOU SURE THAT IS THY WISH?

"What do you mean?" Apollo demanded. "That's the whole point! Everything I'm doing is so-"

"Are you talking to that arrow?"

At the base of the tower stood Frank Zhang. Next to him was Hannibal the elephant, impatiently pawing the mud. Apollo blinked. He had been so distracted, he had let an elephant get the drop on him.

"Hi." He squeaked, voice still ragged with emotion. "I was just… this arrow gives prophetic advice. It talks. In my head." Frank managed to maintain a poker face, another reason why Apollo wanted to adopt him.

"OK." He nodded. "I can leave if-"

"No, no." Apollo slid the arrow back in the quiver. "It needs time to process. What brings you out here?"

"Walking the elephant." Frank pointed to Hannibal, in case Apollo was wondering which elephant. "He goes stir-crazy when we don't have war games. Bobby used to be our elephant handler, but…" Frank shrugged helplessly. Apollo understood- Bobby had been another casualty of the battle, killed. Or worse.

Hannibal grunted deep in his chest. He wrapped his trunk around a broken battering ram, picked it up and started pounding it into the ground like a pestle. Apollo remembered another elephant, a friend of his- Livia, back at the Waystation. She too had been grief-stricken, having lost her mate to Commodus's brutal games. If they survived this upcoming battle, Apollo was going to introduce Livia and Hannibal. They would make a cute couple.

He mentally slapped himself, shaking his head. What was he thinking? He had enough to worry about without playing matchmaker to pachyderms.

He climbed down from his perch, careful to protect his bandaged gut. Frank studied him, perhaps worried by how stiffly he moved. "You ready for your quest?" He asked.

"Is the answer to that question ever 'yes'?"

"Good point."

"And what will you do while we're gone?" Frank ran a hand across his buzz cut.

"Everything we can. Shore up the valley's defences. Keep Ella and Tyson working on the Sibylline Books. Send eagles to scout the coast."

"Why not Louisa?"

"Mm. Reyna and I agreed that the legion needs more… training with boats. Lou's our resident pirate." He shrugged a shoulder. "We going to keep the legion drilling, so they don't have time to worry about what comes. But mostly… it's about being with the troops, assuring them that everything is going to be OK." Lying to them, Apollo translated, though that was bitter and uncharitable.

Hannibal stuck his battering ram upright in a sinkhole. He patted the old tree trunk as if to say, there you go, little fella. Now you can start growing again.

Even the elephant was hopelessly optimistic.

"I don't know how you do it." Apollo admitted. "Staying positive after all that's happened." Frank kicked a stone.

"What's the alternative?"

"A nervous breakdown?" Apollo suggested. "Running away? I'm new to this being mortal business."

"Yeah, well. I can't say those ideas haven't crossed my mind, but you can't really do that when you're praetor." Frank frowned. "Though I'm worried about Reyna. She's been carrying this burden a lot longer than I have. Years longer. The strain of that… I dunno. I just wish I could help more. And there's…" He sighed. "Lou only really listens to Reyna. Or she did. Reyna's doing her best, but…"

You will not stick your ugly, unworthy godly face anywhere near her, Venus's voice jibed. Apollo wasn't sure which idea was more terrifying- that he might make Reyna's life worse or he that he might be responsible for making her life better.

Frank apparently misinterpreted his look of concern. "Hey, you'll be fine. Hazel will keep you safe. She's one powerful demigod." Apollo nodded, trying to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth. He was tired of others keeping him safe. The whole point of consulting the arrow had been to figure out how he could get back to the business of keeping others safe. That used to be so easy with his godly powers.

Was it though? That little voice argued. Did you keep the Sibyl safe? Or Hyacinthus? Or Daphne? Or your own son, Asclepius? Should I go on?

Shut up, me, Apollo thought back, frowning.

"Hazel seems more worried about you." He ventured. "She mentioned some crazy stunts in the last battle?" Frank squirmed, as if trying to shake an ice cube of his shirt.

"It wasn't like that. I just did what I had to."

"Like Louisa did?"

"N-no, no!"

"And your piece of tinder?" He pointed to the pouch hanging from the praetor's belt. "You're not worried about what Ella said? Something about fires and bridges?" Frank gave a dry smile.

"What, me worry?" He reached into the pouch, casually pulling out his life stick- a chunk of charred wood the size of a TV remote. He flipped it and caught it, which almost gave Apollo a panic attack. Frank may as well have pulled out his beating heart and started juggling it.

Even Hannibal looked uncomfortable. The elephant shifted from foot to foot, shaking his massive head.

"Shouldn't that be locked in the principia's vault?" Apollo asked. "Or coated in magical flame retardant at least?"

"The pouch is flameproof." Frank reassured. "Compliments of Leo and Calypso. Hazel carried it for me for a while. We talked about other ways to keep it safe. But, honestly, I've kind of learned to accept the danger. I prefer having the firewood with me. You know how it is with prophecies. The harder you try to avoid them, the harder you fail." Apollo couldn't argue with that. Still, there was a fine line between accepting one's fate and tempting it.

"I'm guessing Hazel thinks you're too reckless."

"That's an ongoing conversation." Frank slipped the firewood back in its pouch. "I promise you, I don't have a death wish. It's just… I can't let fear hold me back. Every time I lead the legion in battle, I have to put everything on the line, commit to the battle one hundred percent. We all do. It's the only way to win."

"That's a very Mars thing to say." Apollo noted. "Despite my many disagreements with Mars, I mean that as a compliment." Frank nodded.

"You know, I was standing right about here when Mars appeared on the battlefield last year, told me I was his son. Seems like so long ago." He gave Apollo a quick scan. "I can't believe I used to think-"

"That I was your father? But we look so much alike!" Frank snorted with laughter.

"Just take care of yourself, OK? I don't think I could handle a world with no Apollo in it." His tone was so genuine, Apollo felt himself tearing up. If he ever got back to his former deity status, he was definitely adopting this boy. He had started to accept no-one had wanted Apollo back- not his fellow gods, not the demigods, perhaps not even his talking arrow. Yet Frank Zhang still believed in him.

Before he could do anything embarrassing- like hug him, cry, or start believing he was a worthwhile individual- he spotted his three quest partners trudging towards them. Lavinia wore a purple camp T-shirt and ratty jeans over a silver leotard. Her sneakers sported glittery pink laces that matched her hair and no doubt helped her with stealthy moves. Her manubalista clunked against her shoulder.

Hazel looked slightly more ninja-esque in her black jeans and black zip-up cardigan. Her oversize cavalry sword was strapped to her belt. Apollo remembered she favoured the spatha because she sometimes fought while riding the immortal steed Arion. Alas, he doubted Hazel would summon the horse for their quest today- he wouldn't be much use for sneaking around an underground tomb.

As for Meg, she looked like Meg. Her red high-tops and yellow leggings clashed epically with her new unicorn T-shirt, which she seemed determined to wear until it fell to pieces. She had applied plasters across her cheekbones, like warriors or footballers might do. Maybe she thought it made her look 'commando', but she had apparently not taken into account the Dora the Explorer pattern.

"What are those for?" Apollo asked.

"They keep the light out of my eyes."

"It'll be night-time soon. We're going underground."

"They make me look scary."

"Cool, cool. Where's Backpack?"

"Shut up." She ordered, so of course he had to.

Hazel touched Frank's elbow, requesting a quiet word. She led him out of earshot, followed by Hannibal, who had decided their private chat required an elephant.

"Oi." Lavinia turned to Meg and Apollo. "We may be here a while. When those two start mother-henning… I swear, if they could encase each other in Styrofoam peanuts, they would." She sounded part judgemental, part wistful, as if she wished she had an overprotective girlfriend who would encase her in Styrofoam peanuts. Apollo could very much relate to that.

Hazel and Frank had an anxious exchange. They couldn't hear their words, but imagined it went something like this: I'm worried about you/ No, I'm more worried about you/ But I'm more worried/ No, I'm more worried. Meanwhile, Hannibal stomped and grunted like he was enjoying himself.

Finally, Hazel rested her fingers on Frank's arm, as if she were afraid he might dissolve into smoke. Then she marched back to the questers.

"Alright." She announced, her expression dour. "Let's go find this tomb before I change my mind."