Chapter Fourteen

The Son of Neptune

Jason sat back in bed.

His thoughts were jumbled and he couldn't think. They weren't his enemies. They were his friends! He tried to settle his thoughts, but broken images of his old life were slowly seeping back into his memory. He wanted to shut them out and decided to close his eyes, hoping sleep would help ease his mind.

Jason dreamed in he was standing on a foggy hill top. Spread out below was a vast field. To the right, a forest grew wild and foreboding like something out of a horror movie. A small channel trickled down from a waterfall that Jason could make out just on the opposite side of the field. He remembered jumping off that cliff, thirty feet in the air, and diving into the channel below. The channel ran through the field, separating it on two sides. With the forest on the right, was also a low cave and Jason knew what lived there. Along the cave, he could see cabins, almost hidden amongst the trees. But on the left side of the channel, there were other cabins too. Each one different…each one representing a Roman god…just like at Camp Half-Blood. He could see a dining pavilion made of stone and the Roman coliseum, along with the fabled Trojan horse being set up a few yards away. He saw the familiar arena, stables, and statues and other monuments built the gods.

He remembered this place.

His home. Legion Camp.

Jason didn't waste anytime. He sprinted down the hills, and hopped over an unseen trench and came to abrupt halt as he saw campers wearing purple shirts and holding Imperial gold weapons, training.

He saw a pretty girl, who looked almost bored, with long brown hair and bright eyes locked in combat with a muscular looking guy. They both wore battle armor, but the girl was defenseless. The guy, on the other hand, had a four foot long Imperial gold sword, like the one Jason used to have. He should've been able to overpower her, but the girl was illuminated by a pinkish aura and the boy couldn't help but pause to stare in awe. The girl wore a smirk on her face, as she grabbed the boy's arm, bringing it down hard on her knee, causing him to drop his sword. Then, she elbowed him in between the eyes and watched as he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Try again, Tavior," said the girl.

"Gwendolyn, that was awesome!" moaned Tavior, rubbing between his eyes. "That Venus trick was rad!"

"Thank-you," said Gwendolyn.

Gwendolyn, Jason thought. He almost forgot how beautiful and deadly children of Venus were at his camp.

Tavior laughed for a moment and picked up his sword.

"Do over?" he asked.

Gwendolyn got into a fighting stance and said, "Bring it on!"

And they clashed again.

Jason was too entranced by the scene and turned suddenly just as an arrow streaked an inch from his head and impaled itself in a tree on the opposite side of the channel.

A dozen kids in purple shirts were chasing someone. He turned around and Jason got a good look at him. It was Percy Jackson. He was leading them toward the channel.

"He won't get away!" yelled one of the campers.

But Percy's face was alight with glee as he reached his destination. He fell into the rapids and was swept away underneath.

"Another one gone," grumbled a guy who had been in the chase. "Oh well. Loser!" He kicked some dirt into the channel.

Reyna came up, throwing off her helmet and her long red hair fell around her shoulders. She stared down into the channel.

Suddenly, water spurted out and drenched her from head to toe.

Percy broke the surface of the raging waters, with a triumphant laugh as he struck downward and slashed a wipe arc in front of him. His technique was something Jason had witnessed at Camp Half-Blood, but he could tell he had some Legion training after being at this camp for six months.

Reyna rose to her feet, gripping her sword and she attacked. She dove and flipped and Jason watched in amazement at her gladiator like style. But Percy was just as good. He deflected and blocked all of her attacks. The campers had enveloped a ring around them as they battled fiercely. But then, Reyna low kicked him, knocking his legs from underneath him and she held up her sword, prepared to kill. Percy held out his hand toward the channel and Jason watched as a wave surged up and splattered all of the Legion campers.

They spat water from their mouths and moved water from their eyes.

"My HAIR!" Gwendolyn squealed.

"Sorry, Gwen," said Percy, getting to his feet.

"That is enough," said a low growl from the other side of the channel.

All of the campers turned and kneeled before Lupa, as she leapt over to them.

"The son of Neptune has proven himself again to be your equal," she said, her lips not moving and her eyes scanning the crowd. "Leave us."

"Yes, Lupa!" they chanted.

Reyna stared momentarily, waiting. And then she rushed off behind the rest of the campers.

"So, you think I am improving?" asked Percy.

"It is not wise to be cocky, son of Neptune," said Lupa. "Cockiness is what killed the hero Achilles."

"Right," said Percy. "Cocky bad."

Lupa growled.

"We did the quest," he continued. "It didn't help. I still don't know what happened to me. How I ended up in this place. I know I shouldn't be here and I know you guys don't want me here, so why don't you let me leave?"

"And be at the mercy of our enemies?" said Lupa. "No! That would be foolish. You are more important than you think, Percy."

"But I don't remember!" Percy said, exasperatedly. He tugged at the beads around his neck. Four summer clay beads with a leather string was tied around his neck. He had it ever since he'd gotten to Legion Camp and refused to remove it. The purple shirt and the beads seemed like a major contradiction: two things that didn't go together and would disastrous. Each bead had a different picture drawn on it: a trident, the Golden Fleece, an intricate maze, and lastly the Empire State building with Greek names written on it. His expression darkened as he looked at them.

"Silena...Beckendorf...Michael," he muttered.

"You read and speak Greek very well," said Lupa, eyeing him. "What else do you remember?"

"It's fuzzy," said Percy, staring out toward the hills. "I know I've been in this area before. I helped save Arte I mean, Diana. Someone's looking for me. My favorite color is blue. This isn't right. These beads and this shirt. Their wrong. They don't go together, at least that's what Gwendolyn told me. And I know there is a fight coming soon. The Great Prophecy- "

"-is unclear, son of Neptune," said Lupa. "For now, worrying about your techniques and eventually all will be known. Our greatest enemies are rising and we must be prepared to do what's necessary to win."

"Yes, Lupa," said Percy.

"Go eat dinner," she chided, "I'm sure your starved after that display of power."

"I am," said Percy. "I remember being on a hillside, too, in Connecticut. Vesta fed me."

"Vesta is rarely seen," said Lupa. "You must have very important for her to make such a visit."

Percy pondered this and then ran off toward the dining pavilion.

Jason followed him and watched as he met up with another guy. He was tall and athletic looking with stormy gray eyes and closed cropped brown hair.

"What did Lupa talk with you about?" the guy asked.

"Nothing, Bobby," shrugged Percy.

"Are you starting to remember anything?" he asked, eyeing Percy suspiciously.

He nodded.

"Dude, tell me!" said Bobby. "This could be the key to finding out where Jason is and about the Giants and the Great Prophecy. We haven't heard from Dakota in days, maybe she's found him or is lost too."

"I don't know," said Percy, heaving a great sign. "It seems so weird. Juno took my memories and put me here. Why? I've been tested constantly and still I'm only getting bits and pieces. Like I know, there is another place. Somewhere in the east."

"But we're not supposed to go to the east," said Bobby. "It's forbidden."

"Why?" asked Percy.

"That's the gods domain," said Bobby. "We're not allowed there. Our parents have forbidden us to know enter their city, their sphere of powers."

"But that's not true," said Percy. "I'm from New York. So, I know Neptune...Poseidon, wouldn't stop from coming there. It would explain why I've been able to survive all these years without Legion Camp. Explain why I have the curse of Achilles."

"You've been claimed already," said Bobby. "That we know. You must've been to the Underworld too if you dipped in the River Styx. It's all so strange. And when you, Reyna, and I headed east it didn't yield too many results. But when we were sailing along the East River, you were sure you had been there before in battle. The Long Island Sound you said you felt a sense of familiarity. Maybe, that's where your from. Maybe somewhere near there."

"This bead shows the Empire State Building," said Percy, holding up the black clay bead for Bobby to see. "I was there! I know I was. I was with my friends their names are written around it in Ancient Greek. They died and this bead was to remember and honor them. I have four and I think it's similar to your tattoo."

Bobby looked down at his arm where thirteen lines like a bar-code, SPQR, with an owl stamped over it were embedded in his skin. He traced his fingers across it, his mind racing and Percy stared absently. Jason knew he must be thinking another child of Athena who did that often: Annabeth.

"Annabeth," said Percy, in almost a whisper.

"What?" said Bobby, looking up at him.

"Nothing," he said, quickly. "Never mind. All this amnesia talk has got me hungry. Let's eat before all the good is gone."

Bobby shrugged, "Okay."

They headed off.

Jason didn't follow them this time, but stood there.

"The son of Neptune," said Lupa, walking up to him, and stared off into the direction Percy had been looking, "will be a great asset. A great ally to our cause. His will is strong just like yours, Jason."

Jason froze. He looked down at the she-wolf and her eyes seemed to pierce his soul.

"Fail in your quest," she growled, suddenly angry. "Bow to the enemy and you will be my dinner. I shall show you no mercy, son of Jupiter!"

She lounged at him and Jason awake with a start.

He breathed heavily and his mind snapped back. He needed them. They needed him. They had to rescue, Percy. He had to help unite the camps. He remembered what they could do and knew that his friends wouldn't be ready for that kind of assault. He got out of bed and he knew where they were. He could feel the vibrations in the air as the wind shifted. That's why he had been sent to that place in his dream.

They had finally arrived.