And here is another grossly overdue chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Annabeth's POV
I can't seem to find Percy anywhere, which worries me quite a bit. The last time this happened we were launched into another war, I'm not sure if I could handle a repeat.
With a sigh, I take a seat on a bench near the basketball courts and unlock the phone clutched in my fist. It's small, sturdy, and old. I would place its heyday in 2005 or so, back when flip phones were the shit and touch screens were a pipe dream.
The last call was from an out of state number, and if the caller was as smart as I assume him to be it would be from a payphone. Which is completely useless to track.
I groan and slap the phone onto the bench next to me. I would not be at the head of another crisis; I barely made it out of the last one with an intact psyche. Who knew how this problem would shake out? I cover my eyes with my hands and lean back on the bench, it's a few seconds later when a familiar voice rings in my ears, "Hey Wise Girl."
I remove my hands and smile up at Percy, but then I notice the dejected expression that adorns his face and my smile turns into a frown, "Percy, what's wrong? Are you alright?" I hop off of the bench and walk to his side, he laces his fingers with mine and forces his face to form a smile, "I'm fine, but Annabeth…" he pauses as if debating with himself, "Things are about to change again." He touches his forehead to mine; he's so close I can smell the sea. Usually that scent calms me, but my nerves refuse to relax this time.
"Percy, what's going on?" My voice is a whisper, fear detectable in my tone, "Chaos, Annabeth. Chaos, the father of everything is rising and he's not feeling friendly." My blood runs cold as I pull away from him, "What?"
He smiles a wry smile, "We are at war. Again."
Piper's POV
Leo was an idiot. I swung by the infirmary to bring him some parts and pieces to fiddle with and Jess tells me that he left.
What kind of invalid leaves a hospital?
Apparently the Leo kind.
I push open the door of the Hephaestus cabin and call out, "Leo? You in here? " I don't dare walk into the cabin itself, the last time I did so without a Hephaestus camper escort my hair was green for a week. Fortunately for me, Leo responds quickly, "Hey Pipes, come on in. Security is disabled." I don't fully trust Leo, but I step through the doorway none-the-less. Sure enough, no booby traps are sprung and I release the breath I had been holding.
But when I see Leo my breath is caught all over again, "Leo! Why are you in a wheelchair?" I race to his side, "What kind of sword wound to the stomach puts you in a wheelchair?" Leo smiles ruefully, "The kind that takes away my fire." My hands rise to my mouth and I hiss out, "No… Oh Leo." He shrugs, "Apparently the sword was magic or something. Gods do I wish I could get my hands on that sword, I can't even begin to imagine how it works."
I furrow my eyebrows and look at him, "You are taking this awfully well." Leo gives me a wide smile, "It takes more than a sword to bring the McShizzle down, besides wheelchairs are awesome. Will promised to teach me how to pop a wheelie sometime." I know how Leo thinks, the more jokes he cracks the more upset he is. This is weighing on him more than he lets on, which worries me. Leo has some serious depression issues, I want to help him but I don't know how.
And if he refuses to let me help him, that's the end of it.
"So what are you doing in here? Building a model of the attacker?" I try to make a joke, but it is half-assed and not funny in the slightest.
"Close, but no cigar. Obviously a quest is in order and I was thinking the questers are going to need a ride." He holds up a blueprint and smiles, "Observe, Argo II 2.0 now with a chicken nugget smoke screen." I lean in closer to the blueprint and my eyebrows skyrocket, "Leo, some of these upgrades will take months and I'm not sure we have that long. How do you plan to get this all done?" A sly smile spreads across Leo's face, "I'm already almost done. Just a few more adjustments and we're good to go."
"Calypso, huh?"
"Calypso." Leo confirms.
"She's not gone forever Leo. You'll reach her eventually, when this quest is over I'll even go with you." I squeeze Leo's hand and he gives me a weak smile, "Thanks Piper, but things keep getting in my way. Maybe it's not meant to be."
I frown, "Leo, do you love her?"
"I guess so."
"Well then it's meant to be. So stop sniveling and tell me what I can do."
Eva's POV
Callie left soon after Percy did, leaving me alone with the wizened old centaur. I shift uncomfortably on my feet and give Chiron an awkward smile, "So, Chaos, huh?"
He returns the smile and starts moving towards the porch, "Follow me, Eva." I trail behind him, worried about what he going to say.
"That sword of yours is very old, older than even I. It and its brother have gone by many names, Colada and Tizona, Joyeuse and Durandal, even Excalibur and Legbiter. And in every case the bearer of the sword has died tragically. You have been touched by its power," He gestures to my tattoo, "But you can still refuse its abilities. If you wish to deny the power, place it in the attic and choose a new weapon. However, if you choose to keep the sword, know that your path is dismal and full of strife." I look at the sword that is strapped to my side, considering my options.
Without it I am just another child of Hermes, but with it I am more than my father.
How can I give that up?
And if Chaos really is rising, I may need it to protect my friends and family.
"Well, demigods are destined to die terrible deaths anyway, right? Keeping this sword can't shorten my life expectancy much more than my blood already has, so therefore…" I place my hand on the hilt and nod my head at Chiron.
A smile slips onto his face, "Very well. Before you go I have one more thing to add." Suddenly, a steely look takes over his previously mirthful expression, "You must be a member the upcoming quests, your sword is the best chance we have at taking down its brother and opposite. Do not get left behind."
Another chapter completed. Fun stuff…
-Orangeowl13