Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! I apologize for the late chapter (I have been very busy this past week!). I still can't give a definite timeline, although I'm fairly sure that I'll have the next chapter up by next week. (Hopefully). This chapter contains minor details from the Lost Hero, and I did take a few things from the Demigod Diaries (but you don't need to have read it to read this). Please read and review!

Chiron and Mr. D exchange a heavy look. Apart from the sound of chatter from downstairs, the room is completely silent.

Mr. D breaks the silence with a loud humph. "Absolutely not, Sarah Anderson. It's out of the question."

With a sigh, Chiron elaborates, "Even without taking, ah, current events into consideration, it is still extremely rare for demigods to travel overseas." I open my mouth to protest, but he raises a hand. "You must understand, Sophy, that the ancient lands are tremendously dangero-"

"But I don't want to go to the ancient lands!" I interrupt. "I told you, I want to go to Russia. This could be the only lead we have on figuring out the Watchman." I turn to Mr. D. "Do you have a better idea? Do you know somewhere else where we can find information?"

Mr. D sets down his magazine, leaning forward. Something flickers in his eyes. "I said no, Sadie Abbott."

"But-"

"No!" He slams a hand down on the table. "You are not going to Russia!"

CRACK!

I jump. Chiron turns sharply to look at the window.

BOOM.

A splattering of rain hits the glass. Rachel gets up to look outside. Mr. D mutters something under his breath and reaches for his magazine.

"Is it raining?" I ask blankly, staring at the window.

"It would appear so," Chiron says dryly. He rolls over to join Rachel. I reach to push aside the curtains.

"But … but it was sunny just a few minutes a …" I stare at the sky. "Ago."

Huge, dark clouds are forming above us at an unnatural speed. It's already beginning to downpour; the sky is turning dark.

"What in the name of Merlin?" I breathe, letting the curtain drop behind me. Rachel gives me a nudge.

"I think your dad is on your side."

"What? I - oh."

I turn around, batting the curtain aside. Mr. D has his nose buried in his magazine. When he flips a page, I get a glimpse of what looks like pictures of wine.

"So, Mr. D," I begin.

"No, Samantha Andrews."

CRACK.

Outside, there's a bright flash of lightning.

"No!" He yells, this time at the storm. "It is absolutely out of-"

BOOM!

"The question!"

BOOM!

Chiron sighs. "Mr. D …"

"Fine!" He slams his magazine down on the table. "Fine!"

The rain begins to ebb. Almost miraculously, the clouds begin to dissipate.

I smile.

"I can't believe it." Rachel shuts the door behind us. "You actually - I can't believe it!"

I shrug as we start down the stairs. "It wasn't as much me as it was my father."

"Still." We pass the second-floor landing.

"What are you going to do now?" She turns and beckons me down a hallway. I follow her.

"I guess I've got to get ready. I only have a little over an hour before we leave."

"Yeah." She starts down another hallway. "Speaking of which, who are you taking with you?"

I jog a bit to catch up. "Do you want to come?"

She blinks. "Oh, no! I'm just wondering."

"That's fine." I bite my lip. "I'm not sure yet."

We've reached the end of the hallway. She pulls open a door; we step out onto the porch.

"Three is a standard number for quests," she advises. "So, you get two companions."

"But this isn't a-"
"Still." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Three's the standard."

"Sophy?" Someone calls.

Rachel nods at the corner ahead of us. "There's your friends." She gives me an encouraging look. "Go ahead. I'll see you later."

I hurry around the corner and almost trip over Ron. The rest of my schoolmates are likewise seated against the wall. Annabeth and Piper are perched on the railing.

Piper hops down off of the railing. "Sophy, what's going on? Where-"

"I'm going to Russia," I say without preamble. "I can take two people with me. Hermes will be here in an hour. I'm-"

I'm interrupted by several of my friends at once. Piper and Hermione both say "What?!" loudly. Harry nearly chokes on his orange juice. Ron says "Blimey," as if he's never done anything as surprising. Annabeth starts on a barrage of questions.

"You're - you're going to Russia? But why? And did you say Hermes? Does this-"

"Guys. Guys!" I hold up my hands for silence. "I'm going to Russia to find the letters about the Watchman. I will take two people with me. Mr. D pulled favors; Hermes is going to help. I have an hour to get ready."

Everyone stares at me, utterly surprised. Ron is looking slightly confused. Annabeth and Piper share an unreadable look.

"I need to get some things from Cabin 1," I say slowly. "Who wants to come with me?"

"I'll come," Luna volunteers, hopping to her feet. Neville and Hermione get up, too.

"I'll go, too." Annabeth gets to her feet. "We should be quick," she warns.

"I know." I bite my lip. "If we're not back in, oh, twenty minutes? Twenty minutes, then … well, I don't know. But expect us back in twenty minutes."

"Okay," Harry says, although he says it like a question.

I nod. "Then let's go."

"Are you sure about the letters?" Annabeth asks as we hurry past the empty cabins. Liliya lopes ahead of us to sniff around the basketball camp.

"Well, I never read them," I say, reaching into my pocket for a hair-tie. "But they were really important to her." I quickly knot my hair back. "Either way, it'll be worth it." I take a deep breath, trying not to laugh from excitement.

"Of course!" Hermione says, sounding just as excited as I am. She pulls open the door to Cabin 1.

"Here we are." I reach for my messenger bag, checking that everything's still there. Luna hands me a change of clothes. Hermione has moved to look at the statue of Zeus; Annabeth is going through a list of other things I'll need.

"We can stop at the armory on the way back," she says as I buckle the bag shut. "And we can get some ambrosia from the infirmary." She frowns as I sling the bag over my shoulder. "Is that everything else?"

Hermione pulls the door open for us. "What if something … you know. Goes wrong?"

Annabeth nods quickly. "That's it. Let's see. If I give you a few drachmas, d'you think you could find a way to make a decent rainbow?"

Hermione blinks, utterly bewildered. "A rainbow?"

"Sure," I say, following her out of the cabin.

"And that just leaves your companions," Annabeth finishes, shutting the door behind us.

I bite my lip. "Well, I think it's only fair to bring you, Luna. You know."

Luna looks pleased. "Ooh, I'd love to come."

"And then," I continue slowly, "that leaves a third person." Annabeth points us toward the armory; we start across the lawn. "I'm not certain but, well, I was thinking-" I stop. "Nico."

"Nico?" Annabeth says, looking back at me. "You'll have to ask hi-"

"That's not what I meant," I say distractedly. "Well, I mean, yes, it was, but that's not …" I gesture vaguely. "Nico."

Hermione stares at me in utter confusion. "Sophy, what are you talking ab-"

"Nico?!" Annabeth exclaims, looking to where I'm point. "What's he doing?"

We all turn. Nico is walking out of his cabin, closing the door behind him.

"Oi!" I call, waving an arm. He looks up; I wave again. "Over here!"

"He isn't supposed to leave the Big House!" Annabeth mutters under her breath as we jog over to meet him.

"Hey," Hermione says, her tone friendly. "You're Nico, right? I'm Hermione."

"I know." Nico gives her a nod. "Nice to meet you."

"I thought we told everyone to stay in the Big House," Annabeth says without preamble.

He hunches his shoulders slightly. "I wanted to go to my cabin. Besides," he says, following us as we start toward the armory, "if I did get transported, I would be able to get back."

"Eventually," Annabeth murmurs under her breath, but she drops the subject.

"Speaking of which, what are you four doing?"

Annabeth leads us around the side of Cabin 6. "Sophy's going to Russia for the letters," she explains, reaching for the handle of a metal shed. "She needs a weapon." Annabeth reaches for the hilt of a sword and holds it out to me.

I wrinkle my nose. "That's huge."

"You're going to Russia? Er, congratulations, I suppose."

Annabeth returns the sword. Nico joins her in looking through the weapons. I send him a curious glance. He's much shyer today than he was last night.

"I don't suppose you'd want a pistol." Nico says over his shoulder.

"I might," I say thoughtfully. "Could I see it?"

With a doubtful look, Nico passes me a dark pistol. I weigh it in my hand.

"Do you know how to shoot?" Annabeth asks me.

"Vaguely." I examine it. "I can shoot a bow."

"That's not the same thing."

"I know." I look up at them. "I like it."

"If you're sure," Annabeth says, replacing the sword she was holding.

"I am."

"You'll need ammunition," Nico says, turning back to the shed.

"Get her the gold bullets." Annabeth reaches for something. "In case she needs to shoot something mortal."

"Thanks," I say. Hermione eyes the gun in my hand cautiously.

"If I were you, I'd take a dagger, too," Annabeth advises, turning to me with a sheathed dagger in hand. "Try this one."

I unsheathe it. The dagger is made of some sort of odd bronze. Like the gun, it feels right to me.

"What is it?"

"Celestial bronze," Nico says."It's harmless to mortals."

I fasten the dagger and the pistol to my belt. Nico hands me a case of ammunition, which I drop into my bag.

"What about you?" Annabeth asks Luna.

"I have my wand." Luna eyes the swords in the shed cautiously.

"Suit yourself." Annabeth swings the armory door closed.

"You're going to Russia?" Nico asks me, letting Liliya sniff his fingers. We turn to start back toward the Big House. "Who are you taking with you?"

"Luna," I say, nodding ahead of us to where Luna is walking with Hermione.

"And?"

I bite my lip. "Well, I was hoping you'd come, too."

He blinks at me, startled. "Me?"
"Yeah."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Well, yes."

"Why?"

I turn to look at him, confused. "Why? I don't know. I - I want you to come. I …" I pause. "I trust you."

He's silent for a moment. His hair flops into his face, hiding his eyes.

"If you don't want to come, that's fi-"

"No, no. I'll come." He brushes his hair out of his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He gives me a small smile.

"Great!" I grin back.

"Are you guys coming, or not?" Annabeth calls from ahead of us. "Hurry up!"

Nico rolls his eyes slightly. "We're coming!"

"Are you coming with us?" Luna asks Nico as we catch up to them. He nods; I see a flicker of disappointment in Hermione's eyes.

"Sorry, 'Mione."

"It's okay." She gives me a smile. "I'd better stay anyway, to make sure the boys don't get into trouble."

"We'll go back again someday," I promise. "All of us."

She smiles, but I see in her eyes that she doesn't quite believe me. "I'll look forward to it."

"Good luck." Piper gives me a quick hug.

"Thanks."

We're standing out back of the Big House. A small crowd of demigods have gathered on the porch above us. Beside me, Luna is saying goodbye to Neville, and Nico is talking with Will.

"You stay safe, too." Neville says to me. I turn with a smile.

"I will."

"Good luck," Annabeth calls from the porch. Percy's arm is slung over her shoulders.

"Thank you!" Luna calls, giving her a wave.

"And remember, if anything goes wrong, I-M either me or - Lord Hermes!"

I stare at her. "I-M Lord Hermes?"

"No, I mean -" she waves a hand. "Behind you."

I turn around and almost yelp. Standing behind me is a middle-aged man dressed in a mailman's uniform. In his hand is a staff - his caduceus.

"Oh!" I blush slightly. "Hi, Lord Hermes."

He gives me a nod. "Hello, Sophya. Nico. And …"

"Luna."

"And Luna." He turns back to me. "Dionysus has told me I am to transport you and your friends to and from your childhood home in Russia. Does that sound correct?"

"Yes. Thank you, Lord Hermes."

"Just Hermes, please." He holds something out to me. I take it; it's a small chunk of what appears to be crystal. "This," he says, "is adamantine crystal. Break this stone, and I will know to bring you."

"Thank you." I take the crystal.

"Let's see." He takes a step back. "Just you three?"

"Yes. Us and Liliya." Liliya, on leash once more, is sitting by my feet.

Bring us back a rat.

"Aah!" I almost drop the crystal. "Your - your snakes talk!"

No need to be rude about it.

"Ah, yes." Hermes raises his staff. "Say hello, George and Martha."

Hello, George and Martha.

Don't be sarcastic, George.

I stare at the snakes. "Hello, George and Martha."

"I assume you are all ready?"

"We are," Nico says from my left. "Thank you, Lord Hermes."

"You are welcome." Hermes raises his staff.

My view of the hills starts to fade, as if a fog has descended over camp. Through the foggy whiteness, I can see a new image, of dark trees and a flowing river.

Good luck, Sophy Alkaev.