[A/N] Salutations and hello! The reuploading continues, I won't keep you any longer, so let's just jump right on into it…

Shadows of the Hunt

Chapter 5: Allies

I leaned against the porch rail, watching the sun peek over the hills as morning arrived, deep in thought. I sensed my mother right behind me, observing me silently. "Why do I always imagine I can see Apollo's smug face in the dawning light?"

"An amusing thought, but appropriate nonetheless. What are your thoughts?"

"Can't you tell?" I asked with a smile.

"I would rather you just told me." She was oddly relaxed, I noticed. Chiron was still inside, discussing the possibilities of the Oracle's words with Annabeth after carrying Rachel to bed.

"I'm worried. I also have the feeling you are too, and for exactly the same reason."

The goddess fell silent, and I took that as confirmation. "Perhaps we should go inside; I believe we should rejoin the discussion with Chiron."

I sighed. "Agreed."

-A-

"Then who is 'the Child born of Death?'" I heard Chiron ponder as I entered.

"That would be me," I said, startling the Centaur out of his thoughts.

Annabeth paused. "How can you be sure? I mean, it could mean a lot of things."

I sighed and settled down on the arm of a chair. "Both a Fury and Nico's words are what led me to realize it. You recall how I said I was born, don't you?"

Annabeth nodded. "You said you were created out of the life force of a pure mortal combined with that of Lady Artemis."

I nodded, "But what I didn't say was that the man who was my father was murdered in order to obtain his life force."

"But it only takes a tiny amount of a mortal's essence combined with an Olympian to conceive a half-blood," Chiron objected.

"I guess Midas just wanted to make sure."

"He speaks the truth," my mother spoke up from behind me.

"My father was murdered so I could be born. My life force was born from his death."

"So that's the first line," Annabeth said, "So you…and the Maiden of Light… could that be…"

"Yes," Artemis interrupted, "I have to assume that to be me."

"But…to put a goddess in a quest group! Such a thing is unheard of!" Chiron exclaimed.

The goddess nodded. "True, but my brother is the lord of prophecies, and it is just the sort of thing he would do considering the circumstances."

"Typical Apollo," I muttered in agreement.

"Indeed. It would seem it is not only you the others wish to test. As the one who granted you immortality, it seems as though I must also be involved."

"What worries me is the last line," I said. "The followers of the Eternal Virgin…and unless Hestia or Athena has been stashing a following up their robes…" I paused, the rest was obvious.

Annabeth nodded. "Lady Artemis again, and 'the followers'…"

My mother inclined her head. "My Hunters; and I feel the part about falling into darkness is fairly self-explanatory."

"So, if you and Armani don't go on this quest to The Desert of the Meadows and the Shattered Palace, then something's going to happen to the Hunters."

My mother nodded in response. "It would seem that is the case."

I glanced out the window and up at the sky. "It should be okay to try now," I mumbled, and pushed myself up, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Annabeth called after me.

"There's something I want to check on, come with me." The others frowned curiously, but followed.

-A-

"You have a hosepipe, Chiron?"

"Y-yes, it's around the side, but why do you..." he trailed off, as I was already disappearing around the side of the house. I returned a second later with the green tube trailing behind me.

"Take a guess…anyone have a drachma? I'm broke."

Annabeth rummaged in her pockets and withdrew a single gold coin, which she handed to me. "Placing a call?"

"Yeah…Chiron, could you hold this?" I passed the Centaur the nozzle, which he held up, allowing the thin spray to create the necessary light effect with the morning sun.

"What are you doing?" my mother asked.

"Right now I'm just praying I'm wrong," I said as I glanced up at the spray. "Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, I pray you accept my offering." I flicked up the coin and it disappeared as it struck the rainbow. I took a deep breath. "Show me Thalia Grace."

I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind me and I knew they had caught on. For several tense seconds there was nothing but the sound of running water. Suddenly the air was filled by three mechanical tones, followed by a female voice:

"The person you are attempting to call cannot be reached. Please check the name and try again…"

I clenched my fist as the drachma was spat out and landed at my feet. I bent down, picked it up, and flicked it back into the light. "Show me the Huntress known as Steff."

That same voice spoke up again, this time with a note of irritation. "The person you are attempting to call can ALSO not be reached, please check the name and try again."

When the drachma reappeared I flicked it right back up into the air. I said tersely, "Show me any of the Hunters of Artemis!" We gasped as the image shimmered, only to be replaced by my own reflection. "Oh, very funny, Iris! You know what I meant!"

I'm arguing with a light effect…

However, a second later, a short young woman, who appeared to be in her mid-teens, stood up in the image, as if she had been sitting below it the whole time. She mousy dark hair and a small pair of glasses. She also had the oddest eyes I had ever seen; they seemed to shift colors as I looked at them. The girl was wearing what looked like one of those headset telephones you see in call centers. She also looked decidedly annoyed. Then she spoke. "Now, look here, young lady!"

Young…WHAT?

"You're the only Hunter still on my board! So stop bugging me, okay?"

I probably should have addressed the main issue at hand, but still. "Do I look like a young lady to you?"

The woman in the image adjusted her glasses and screwed up her eyes, as if trying to focus. It seemed she gave up after a moment. "Oh, I get it. You're a Hunter so you're really hundreds of years old, right?"

Stay calm…stay calm…one, two, three…there. I'm okay.

"No…that is not- oh, forget it." I stepped to the side and turned to my mother, extending a hand toward the misty image. "Here, all yours."

I heard her sigh, and then she spoke. "Hello, Iris. You look well."

The woman in the image narrowed her eyes and suddenly smiled. "Ahh, Artemis, how's my fellow light goddess doing today?"

"Quite well; might I ask a favor of you?"

"Well, since you asked nicer than that girl a moment ago did, sure!"

Staying...calm...

"Are you sure you can't locate a single one of my Hunters besides the one you were speaking to before? That was a boy, by the way…but it's very important."

"Sorry Arty, they all went off my scopes during the night. Last time I saw one was somewhere in the forests on the eastern sea board in the middle of the night."

My mother fell into silent contemplation. "I see…"

"A boy, you say?" the rainbow goddess suddenly asked. "Are you sure?"

Artemis sighed, barely listening. "Quite sure, Iris."

"Ahh, I see; changed your membership requirements, did you? Nice to see you getting with the changing times."

Artemis didn't bother to correct her, she just kept on staring. "That will be all, Iris. Thank you for your time."

The goddess seemed to sense her discomfort. "Well… I'll keep my eyes peeled and if I see anything I'll let you know, okay?"

"That's very kind of you, thank you, Iris."

"See ya!" She waved and the image disappeared.

"Always a bit of an airhead, that one," my mother mumbled, still staring blankly ahead.

"So what now?" Annabeth asked.

My mother swung around. "Now I must go. I have to go to the last place my Hunters were seen and follow the scent from there."

"Not yet you're not," Chiron suddenly said, deep in thought. He obviously didn't hear how that statement sounded.

The goddess turned slowly around to the Centaur. "Excuse me?"

He blinked. "I am terribly sorry. What I meant was, you can't go alone. That is, unless you wish to risk going against the words of the prophecy, Lady Artemis."

I nodded, "I agree, it said…one and all, lest the followers of the Eternal Virgin into darkness shall fall, right? We need to go, one and all."

I could sense that she was wound tighter than a spring and just wanted to run out and begin the hunt. I empathized; I felt that way most of the time myself.

She turned to me after a moment. "Then let us find the rest of our companions and be on our way."

-A-

I strode down the path to the dining pavilion with my mother and Annabeth, Chiron following close behind, "Who's this 'guilty' guy, then?" Annabeth wondered.

"I have no idea…" Chiron responded, he seemed as confused as Annabeth was.

"Then 'the daughters of battle and fight'?"

I hummed in thought, "I suppose that could mean a daughter for battle and a daughter for fight."

My mother summed it up. "A daughter of Athena and a daughter of Ares."

"Looks like I'm in, then." Annabeth said.

I turned to face her as I walked, "It doesn't have to be you; you're not the only Athena girl here."

She shook her head. "I'm the one with the most experience; if anyone from my cabin has a chance of getting this done and coming back alive, then it's me."

I nodded; her logic was sound, as usual. "That's three; now let's go get our fourth…"

-A-

I steadied my nerves and knocked on the Ares cabin door. If I hadn't had a goddess with me I would never have been stupid enough to even consider attempting this.

I caught the sound of disgruntled murmuring from behind the door, and a second later it was flung open by someone who looked vaguely familiar, except that her face was hidden behind a mass of violently tangled brown hair. She groaned and brushed her hair aside. It was Clarisse, for which I was thankful. I was not so thankful for the fact that she then chose to sucker-punch me square in the gut as a greeting.

I gasped in pain and staggered back a few paces.

"You'd better have a damn good explanation for this, Armani!"

"Ackh! Or what? You'll punch me in the stomach? Oh wait… You just did!"

She looked honestly confused. "What? I was just saying good morning!"

"Good morning, Clarisse," I said with as much combined courtesy and sarcasm as I could muster.

She nodded with a smile. "Good morning, Armani. Is there anything I can do for you before I put you back to sleep permanently?"

Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?

"I need you to get dressed and come with me."

She sighed drearily. "And why should I do that, exactly?"

"Because I believe it would be most unpleasant for you if I were forced to drag you out." My mother answered coldly, in a tone I hadn't heard since she'd fought me that night in the clearing. Clearly, she was getting impatient.

"Oh ho, and just who in Hades do you think-" Clarisse paused and narrowed her eyes at the goddess, then turned her head to me and gave a defeated sigh, pointing a finger at my mother. "That who I think it is?"

I nodded consolingly. "Yeah… Sorry."

She sighed again. "Be right out." She slammed the door and left us outside in silence while she made herself more presentable. I rocked on my heels, whistling a tune as we waited. "How's your chest?" my mother asked after a moment.

"Fine. Thanks a million for all your support, by the way."

"You're welcome, Armani."

Apparently, immunity to sarcasm ran in the family.

-A-

Once Clarisse had fixed her hair and joined us in the pavilion we walked her through the events that had transpired. Rather than seeming glum, she looked overly smug, which I suppose wasn't that surprising.

"Daughter of fight…well I suppose you came to the right place. It's been getting way too quiet around here, to be honest. Been a while since I had a good fight. So, off to hunt some Hunters, then?"

I nodded. "And as much as I know you hate being told what to do, as my mother's coming with us…"

"Yeah, yeah, the goddess is in charge, that much I got. Just make sure the rest of you don't get in my way." Her blatant overconfidence was actually quite reassuring, despite the fact she had just insulted us. "I'm not talking about you, of course," she added reassuringly to my mother.

"Of course."

"So when do we set off? Right now?" She seemed excited, but then I guess that was in her nature.

"I'd like to set off before everyone else gets up, it's just…"

Annabeth picked it up for me. "We're still missing one person, the 'guilty' one."

Clarisse scoffed. "Stupid prophecies. If I had my way we'd be leaving right now."

"Unfortunately, you don't," my mother interrupted. "Bad things befall those who do not heed the words of the Oracle, and I will not put my Hunters in that kind of danger," she said tensely.

Clarisse raised her hands defensively. "Hey, hey, I got that. I was just saying. Anyways, who's this guilty one?"

"Does it mean the one who caused the Hunters to disappear?" Chiron mused, "It would have to be someone from Camp Half-Blood, if you have to set off from here with that person."

"Where do we begin looking, then?" Annabeth asked.

I blew out a breath. "I'm stumped." I laughed ironically, "Unless that freaky dream I had last night had anything to do with it."

Oddly, everyone's heads seemed to turn to me in perfect unison. "W-what?"I suddenly felt nervous.

Annabeth spoke first. "A dream?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, you know, dream, meaning a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep."

She shook her head. "No, I mean you had a dream, and you didn't tell us?" she asked disbelievingly.

I sighed. "Annabeth, I once had a dream where a blue monkey had a boxing match against a kangaroo with the head of Richard Nixon. That doesn't mean I woke up the next day and called National Geographic just to be on the safe side!"

The blonde smacked her head. "Don't you know anything about when half-bloods have dreams?"

"Apparently not."

My mother spoke in her usual cool tone. "When a half-blood has particularly vivid dream, it is often an omen of either events occurring at that moment or things to come in the near future."

I fell silent to absorb the fact. "So you're saying that the dream I had could've been something that was happening at the time?"

Annabeth nodded. "Was it a clear dream?"

"Like I was right there in the room."

"Who won?" Clarisse suddenly asked.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but I just have to know; who won the boxing match?"

"Oh, Kanga-Nixon was disqualified due to a technical foul. The crowd was most unhappy."

"Back to more pressing issues," Annabeth snapped, "in this dream, the non-monkey one, what happened?"

I fell silent in thought, and then pushed myself up. "Excuse me…"

"Wait! Where are you going?" Annabeth demanded.

I stared off into the distance. "To check on a hunch…stay here, all of you," I said sternly to the group, then turned to my mother. "…Please," I added, and then I strode off towards the forest without another word.

-A-

He wasn't hiding. That wasn't a good sign.

Nico Di Angelo was sitting on a tree stump, his sword discarded on the ground beside him as he stared wordlessly off into the distance.

He knew I was there, but he said nothing. I broke the silence. "You told Hades." It wasn't a question.

He didn't ask how I knew, he just nodded. His eyes then began welling up with tears. "What's happened?" he choked out.

Guilty one is right…

"The Hunters have disappeared. All of them." He took a sharp breath. "Nico, what did Hades do after you left the room?"

"I didn't know, I wasn't there…what have I done? I just…Bianca…"

I would empathize with him, but I had no time. "Listen, Nico! I understand! You were angry, and perhaps I was wrong for not telling you who I was, but what's done is done, and we need to start fixing it."

He turned to me, his dark eyes bloodshot. "How? All I can do is cause pain… You, that little nymph… My sister…" he choked the last part out and sobbed into his hands.

I remained calm and level. "There was a prophecy, Nico, last night."

He froze and took his head from his hands. "What?"

"I had a dream, I saw you telling Hades about me—the fruit of his humiliation—very poetic, by the way. And Rachel had a prophecy the next day. There was a guilty one mentioned and the Hunters have vanished. We're going on a quest to save them, and you're coming with us." This wasn't a question either.

"Me?"

I managed a weak smile. "I don't see anyone around here feeling guiltier right now than you do. No question; you screwed up. The question is whether you're ready to start making up for it."

He had stopped crying, at least. "Who else?"

I knew what he was talking about. "Myself, Annabeth, Clarisse and…" I paused as Nico suddenly took a sharp breath, grabbed his sword and leapt to his feet. "Nico…what are you doing?" I only now noticed that he was looking at a point over my left shoulder, his sword hand trembling.

I turned around.

What?

It was my mother, standing just on the edge of the undergrowth, silent as a ghost.

How did she mask her approach from me?

She had a dangerous look in her eyes as she began advancing slowly on the dark demigod.

Nico seemed to steel his nerves as he said, "would she have died?"

That seemed to give my mother pause. "What?"

Nico's eyes seemed to burn into the goddess he faced. "If you hadn't made her a Hunter, would she be alive today?"

Whatever chastisement my mother was about to deliver seemed to have been forgotten. She stared at him, an utterly unreadable expression on her face. "How can you possibly ask me that?"

Nico's despair seemed to have been forgotten and replaced with rage. "No! I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me, Artemis, that you think Bianca would still be dead right now if you hadn't made her a Hunter!"

I noticed my mother's fist was clenched at her side; obviously the question had genuinely rattled her. "How could I possibly know something like that?"

"I didn't ask you if she would have died. I asked you if you think she would have died."

"I couldn't possibly have known what would happen to your sister."

"And I couldn't have known what would happen to your Hunters. Looks like we both tore our families away from each other accidentally."

"I was trying to help your sister!" my mother snapped angrily.

Nico's anger rose a notch and crossed into full-blown fury. "And you tell me there wasn't even a bit of selfishness on your part? You saw a vulnerable girl you could take advantage of! You're worse than a Siren! At least they don't discriminate against which people they choose to lure to their deaths with pretty words!"

Splatter Zone, code red!

I know, but I'm too scared to move!

My mother's breaths were coming in short, enraged bursts. She was a hair's breadth from snapping. "If it weren't for the fact that your words are spoken out of grief, I swear I would kill you where you stand!"

There's also the fact that we need him for the quest, but that works too…

Nico seemed to be desperately trying to reign in his temper, but it didn't seem to be out of fear. "So yeah, you made me lose my family and I made you lose yours. At best, Artemis, I'd say we're even now."

His head swung around to me. "I'm in." Then he turned back to my mother. "See, unlike a selfish thing like you, I try to make amends to those I've wronged. My sister said I hold grudges too easily, but I'm letting this one go, Artemis, and I'm going to save your Hunters…because when it comes down to it, I can learn from what I've done. And that means, when it comes down to it, that I'm better than you."

And with that emotional tirade he turned to storm off. That was when the most unbelievable thing I had ever seen happened.

My mother suddenly spoke up, in the smallest voice imaginable. "I'm sorry."

Nico froze dead and turned around slowly, clearly as stunned as I was. Now that I could see his eyes, it was obvious that he had started crying again as he walked off. He just gaped at Artemis for a moment. "What did you just say?" he breathed.

"I said… I'm sorry."

I'm not sure how long Nico stood staring at the goddess, but he seemed to be swallowing a lump in his throat when he spoke again. "Like I said… I'm in." On that he turned and left.

I think that meant… apology accepted.

Obviously Nico's words, spoken in a rage or not, had had an effect on my mother.

The little goddess stood in silence and in solitude. But I had no words, no smart comment, no witty sarcastic remark to cheer her up. Nothing fit. And so I did the only thing I could as she stood staring at the ground in silence. I took my place at her side, slipped my hand into hers, and simply let her know I was there.

Her hand closed tightly around mine and she didn't speak for a time. "Was he right?" she suddenly asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

What do I say? Do I give her my opinion? Some advice on how she can change and grow as a living being? No… That wasn't what I had to say. Not this time.

"No, mother, he wasn't," I whispered.

"Are those your true feelings?"

"That's how I feel…as your son."

And then, in silence, she hugged me again.

-A-

My mother and I found the group still at the dining pavilion. Annabeth seemed to have cheered Nico up somewhat, and the two were chatting away. "Ah, there you are. We were wondering when the two of you would get back," Chiron called, and the conversation died. I noticed Nico avert his eyes and became unnaturally interested in his fingernails. My mother sat down across from him. She didn't seem angry or sad anymore, but then it's hard to tell with a goddess. I sighed; there was no use in worrying about it now.

Que cera cera, as they say…

I idly ran my hand over the rim of the hearth as the group settled. I quickly went into lecture mode. "So, it looks like we're all here, then," I said. My foot bumped something, and I bent down to examine the strange jar. I had noticed this beside the hearth several times. "So," I began, picking it up curiously, "I suppose we should start thinking about how we should get to our destination." I shook the jar, listening to the contents.

Hmm…strange…

"Anyway. I…" Suddenly I noticed the entire table was staring in shock. Mouths were hanging open, even my mother's; that wasn't a good sign. "What's wrong?"

Chiron raised a finger carefully. "Ah…Armani…put that down, would you?" he asked cautiously, as if his words would somehow cause me to drop it.

I laughed. "Why? You keep your fire-suppressing sand in here or something?" I asked as I moved to peek under the rim of the lid.

"NO!" the entire table shouted, and I froze dead. Suddenly, I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder from behind. I turned to find the small girl I had noticed stoking the hearth one night looking up at me with fire in her eyes. I mean, literally…there were actual flames in there.

She extended her hand wordlessly, and I gave her the jar. She immediately snatched it and hugged it to her chest as she walked off around the hearth, eyeing me suspiciously as she went.

Strange…that must be the goddess of fire safety I've heard nothing about.

"Anyway, I think we should start heading out as soon as possible," I said as I walked back to the table. Everyone seemed to be giving odd sighs of relief.

Annabeth rubbed a cold sweat from her brow. "Yes, and despite almost robbing the world of all hope, Captain Klutz here is right. But first we need a course."

I gulped down the remainder of my now-tepid coffee and shuddered, then spoke. "Oh, that's fine, I've already figured out where we need to go first."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Really? You know where we have to start?"

I shrugged. "Sure, weren't you listening? The Desert of the Meadows. That's where we're heading."

Annabeth groaned. "We know that, genius, but we need to know where that is."

I frowned in confusion. "But…we do know where it is."

I noticed people glance amongst themselves. "…We do?" Nico asked after a moment.

They're joking, right?

I groaned. "Yes, Nico. I'll give you a big hint; think of the place that represents the biggest, most evil, most blatant financial exploitation of adult mortals in the whole world."

Nico's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"By the gods, the boy's got it…"

"The Hunters of Artemis went to Disney World?"

"No, they—Oh, I walked into that one—but no, Nico, care for another stab?"

"I got nothing," he said.

Enough beating around the bush. "Mother, how many languages do you speak?"

She hesitated. "All of them… why?"

"Including Spanish?"

"Si."

"Good. Will you be so kind as to tell us what 'the meadows' translates as? And if I need to explain it from there, I swear I'm going to hit someone."

She paused as it hit her, and not in the way I was promising to do. There were several translations, depending on context, but the obvious answer was "…las vegas."

My head slumped forward onto the table. I said nothing, just waved my hands in circles for the rest of the class to put it all together. Annabeth, naturally, was the first to speak. "The Desert of Las Vegas…"

I glanced up. "Last clue, kiddies, it begins with an 'N'."

"We get it!" Annabeth snapped. "So, we have to go west to Nevada, and then…"

Clarisse nodded. "And then we have to go to the Shattered Palace…any ideas?"

I shook my head. "I've hit a total dead end there, but at least we've got our first destination."

"Great," Nico muttered. "Vegas."

I glanced at him. "What? Been there before, have you?"

"Let's just say I've spent quite a bit of time there."

"Oh? Didn't have much fun, then, did you?" I assumed.

"No…As a matter of fact, the time practically flew by." I didn't understand why his tone was dripping with sarcasm, but I guessed it was one of those things I'd better not press on.

"Well," I said, clapping my hands as I stood, "suit up, campers; we're goin' to Vegas!"

-A-

I gathered my personal articles together. My mother, having nothing to actually gather, simply stood in contemplative silence. "How do we get there?" I wondered out loud. "I get the feeling we don't have the time for an old-fashioned road trip."

"That much is obvious; we go by chariot."

I took it she meant her chariot. "During the day?"

"I have no choice."

I nodded as I closed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "I guess we'd better start moving, then."

-A-

Her chariot was bigger than I remember, although I suspected she had magically altered the dimensions to allow it to fit five. As we all climbed aboard, Annabeth looked dubiously at the Greek-style open back. "Are you sure it's safe to fly with all of us inside?"

"Scared, Annabeth?" Clarisse poked her.

The Athena girl frowned in response. She muttered something I didn't catch as the wakeup horn sounded in the air.

"I think that's our departure call. Mother?"

The goddess touched the reigns, and with a blur of silver the ground disappeared from beneath us.

I was aware of everyone gripping on for dear life, but we all seemed to relax as we noticed there was no g-force whatsoever. It was like when the Enterprise went from standing still to faster than light in less than a second and the crew showed no signs of—

Damn you, Apollo!

Annabeth glanced over the side as we went above the clouds. "I don't think Thalia could handle this."

I glanced at a small map. "Oh, why's that?"

"She's terrified of heights."

"Huh…ironic."

"Yeah…so if we go by the prophecy we can't go straight to Vegas," she said, getting back to business.

"Why's that?" I heard Nico ask.

I answered for her. "Because we have to head west, over the Desert of the Meadows, not to Vegas directly."

"We have to search an entire desert? How are we supposed to know what we're looking for?"

This time my mother spoke up. "I have a suspicion that we will know it when we find it…or it finds us."

Annabeth sighed. "That's the thing with prophecies; the answer rarely just comes to you, it likes to hit you in the face when you least expect it."

I glanced down at the ground as the world streaked below us with impossible speed. "Where are we?"

My mother didn't take her eyes from the sky ahead. Obviously she was a more attentive driver than her brother. "We're crossing the mainland; it should not take too long to reach the edge of the desert."

"How fast does this thing go?" Clarisse asked.

"In Mythomagic, the Artemis Chariot accessory card says it flies at the speed of the moon's orbit," Nico said.

My mother turned slightly, peering at Nico out of the corner of her eye. There was a disturbingly Apollo-esque look on her face. "That's just the cruising speed."

I ignored the idle conversation. Something was nagging in my gut. I had a restless feeling that I couldn't place. "Mother…go faster."

She turned to regard me. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I just have a feeling we have to hurry."

She turned forward again. "I know. I have that feeling too; I was hoping I was just being worrisome, but it would seem more haste is needed."

"What?" Annabeth asked, leaning forwards. "What's wrong?"

My mother answered her. "It's nothing, Annabeth, although I suggest you all grab onto something. The ride is about to get somewhat rougher." She shook the reigns and the chariot lurched forwards, the entire world becoming a blur around us. "I shall have to leave Poseidon to deal with the tides this creates; he will be most upset with me when next we meet."

-A-

At those kinds of speeds, it didn't take long to reach our destination. After a few short minutes, I could feel us slow down and begin our descent.

After a moment we found ourselves hovering, hundreds of meters above the ground. A vast yellow wasteland was spread ahead of us.

"It's big," I said over the silence. "Where do we begin?"

"I suggest we begin by continuing west until we reach Las Vegas." It was hardly a suggestion, since she had the reigns.

"Keep your eyes peeled, ladies." I heard an irritated cough from behind. "…And Nico."

"Thank you."

And so my mother's chariot began its advance over the endless sands.

-A-

We were still moving by the time noon rolled around, and the sweltering heat seemed to be getting to people. Both I and my fellow half-bloods were sweating profusely. The only one who seemed unaffected was Artemis—but then, being a goddess, I guessed my mother could simply choose not to sweat.

"Come on," Clarisse groaned as she mopped her brow. As desperate I'm sure as she was to fight something, she had been diligent in her observation of the world below.

"We will soon be approaching the city," my mother suddenly announced. Then she breathed hopelessly, "There's nothing…"

It would seem fate was waiting for that instant, as I suddenly felt the tiniest little tugging sensation in my abdomen.

"STOP!" I snapped, but my mother had already done so. Her head was turning slowly left and right. "It's weak…"

"Yes," my mother confirmed in a whisper.

"What?" Clarisse demanded. "What is it?"

"There's something out there, but where?" I gritted my teeth and abruptly grabbed hold of my mother's hand. She gasped in shock, and I immediately focused. The tugging in my chest intensified ten times over at the contact. I closed my eyes and focused, raising my free hand up and extending it into the distance.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked.

"Shh!" I hissed, "I'm tracking…" and suddenly I found that sweet spot in the air and my index finger reflexively flicked itself in that direction. "THERE! North by northwest, about three miles away."

"I have it," my mother said, and she veered the chariot sharply in that direction.

"Mother…hurry." She didn't respond, just nodded.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked over my shoulder as we picked up speed.

I kept my gaze focused in the direction we were travelling. "It feels like a Hunter…"

Annabeth gasped. "You've found them!"

I shook my head. "By the feel of it, there's only one, and the signal's so weak I barely even noticed it."

"What does that mean, though?"

"It means that whoever it is, is on the verge of death." It was only a feeling on my part, but judging by how hard my mother was gripping the reigns she had the same feeling too.

-A-

It didn't take long to find something, a small concrete hut in the middle of the wasteland.

I leaped over the side of the chariot before it even touched the ground and bolted towards the small structure.

Something's wrong here…

The small building had a bolted steel door with a large padlock that didn't look like it would yield easily. At the top of the door was a small grille. I grabbed hold of the doorframe and lifted myself up to get a look at the inside.

Oh, gods…

"MOTHER!" In a flash the goddess was by my side.

"What is it?" She could obviously sense my urgency.

"Get this open," I said, standing back. She didn't ask for clarification, nor did she attempt to force the lock. She simply grabbed hold of the frame, ripped most of the front off the structure, and tossed it to the side like it was cardboard.

"What is it?" Annabeth demanded as the dust cleared. But she didn't need me to answer.

Lying sprawled out on the floor of the small, concrete, cell-like room was the huntress Aren.

My mother was already at her side, a look of deep pain on her face as she kneeled over the small girl. "Aren…"

Annabeth gasped as she caught sight of the fallen huntress. "Is she…" Nico shook his head slightly. "No…but, gods, what's happened to her?"

I crouched down at her side, cupped her cheek, opened one of her eyes and glanced at her lips. I knew enough about physiology to recognize the symptoms. "Xerostomia…the red cheeks and pupil dilation…" For the first time in a while I thanked Apollo for his teachings.

"What?" Annabeth asked. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's been drugged. She probably hasn't been conscious since she was brought here. Normally when someone's unconscious they're on a drip to keep them hydrated; but this room was like an oven. Her entire body's suffering from severe dehydration. We need to put her somewhere cool and get some fluids into her. If she wasn't a Hunter she'd probably be dead by now."

My mother was visibly upset, and was gripping her hunter's wrist in distress. "Who would do such a thing to such an innocent maiden?"

That's a very good question.

"She's right," Annabeth spoke up. "Why would they just leave one of the Hunters out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"You don't think they've hidden them all over the country, do you?" Clarisse asked.

I shook my head. "No, I think this was what we are here for; the rest of the Hunters are probably somewhere else, together."

"But why then?" Nico asked, "Why leave just one Hunter out here, in the middle of nowhere? If they wanted to kill one of them, why didn't they just do it? Heck, it's almost as if they wanted us to find her!"

Oh, no…

My eyes widened as it hit me, and as I glanced at my mother, her eyes met mine I knew she had the same suspicion. As we wordlessly stared at one another I felt a tremble beginning in the ground beneath me. And I found, to my ultimate shame, that in that one tense moment, I couldn't prevent one of Apollo's pop culture references from surging through my sub-conscious:

In the immortal words of Admiral Ackbar…

"IT'S A TRAP!" I shouted, and I thanked the gods for half-blood battle reactions. They didn't question me as the faint rumble turned into what felt like an earthquake that would register nine on the Richter scale. We bolted out of the small building, my mother with the prone Hunter over her shoulder, just as a gargantuan yellow appendage exploded out of the ground, decimating the concrete structure like it was a sand castle.

We ran to a safe distance as the claw waved blindly in the air, crushing the remnants of the concrete into dust.

It seemed to pause, as if unsure where to go. "Nobody move… Nobody makes a sound," I hissed. "Everybody back away… very slowly."

"What is it?" Nico whispered, stepping slowly to my side.

"I don't know; some kind of insect. It's tracking on vibration. See those tiny hairs on the claw?"

"You mean the five-foot long ones?" he mumbled.

"Probably felt us the instant we landed."

"Who cares?" Clarisse shouted, and I turned my head angrily as she drew her spear. "This quest just got interesting!"

"We need to get Aren to safety before we start fighting giant claws," Annabeth retorted.

I sighed. Obviously they'd given up on being silent. "You do know there are usually bodies attached to limbs, don't you? Mother?"

She nodded. "Judging by the vibrations, its body has to be at least fifty meters long."

"I didn't sense it coming."

She inclined her head. "Nor did I; for some reason, this beast is outside my dominion."

"Then let's kill it and be done!" Clarisse objected, and angrily jammed the base of her bronze spear into the earth.

No!

The claw tensed and shot downwards towards the half-blood. She leapt to the side with the instant she had to spare as the limb smashed down like a huge organic club.

"Mother! Get Aren out of here!" I shouted as the claw began lifting up again.

"You cannot hunt this beast without my assistance!" she objected loudly.

"And Aren's our only hope for finding the rest of the Hunters!" I shouted back, just as the claw aimed down and buried itself in the earth a safe distance from us. I realized what it was doing.

It's getting leverage!

I didn't argue any further. I formed my bow, nocked three arrows and stood ready. "Annabeth, take Aren; I think my mother will want her hands free for this."

She nodded and took the Hunter from the goddess. Artemis' own bow appeared in her hand. Nico drew his dark iron blade and Clarisse stood poised with her spear as the claw tensed and the earth began to tremble beneath us.

The sand bulged as a huge shape began rising. Behind it, a long, snakelike trail under the sand was visible.

With a crash, a second claw erupted from the earth and buried itself into the ground next to the first.

"Here it comes…"

The tail erupted first, arcing impossibly high. The main body of the beast exploded from the earth seconds later, eight spindly legs embedding themselves in the earth as it dragged itself free. That huge, barb-tipped tail the length of a subway train rose up, blocking out the sun.

Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!

"What in the name of my father is that?" Nico shouted in disbelief.

"What does it look like, Nico?" I snapped in exasperation.

"Umm…a giant scorpion?"

"Then it's a giant scorpion, Nico!" I'd apologize later for being blunt, but when I'm scared, I turn sarcastic.

It hesitated, its pincers snapping like huge scissors. We probably looked like a buffet table to this thing, and we had seconds before it chose which of us it'd like to sample first…and I couldn't help but notice that its beady eyes seemed to be regarding me personally.

Something wants to kill me…shocker…

"Impossible," I heard my mother breathe. I spared a glance to my side and noticed with a start the look in her eyes—a look of utter disbelief that I hadn't seen since she realized the truth of my birth. It was the look of someone who refused to believe what was right in front of them.

"Apparently not," I said tensely, and suddenly she swung her head around and began scanning the sky, as if desperately searching for something. "What is it?" I asked.

"I can't see the stars…It's still too early…I can't see if it's still there!"

My brow furrowed in bewilderment. I didn't know if the stress was getting to her or something, but… "Mother, what's going on?" I asked, glancing between her and the giant beast.

She took a breath as if struggling to find the strength to speak. "In mortal culture this beast has a name…"

"You've seen this thing before!" Clarisse snapped as the scorpion tensed up to attack.

"Yes! The gods created it, but they didn't give it a name at the time," she said in that same unbelieving tone. "But it shouldn't be here!" she snapped angrily.

We really didn't have time for discussion. "What shouldn't be here? What is it, mother?" I demanded.

She turned her small head to me and, with just one word, summed up the whole situation.

"Scorpius."

To be continued…

-XA-

[A/N] Wow, over halfway done. See you next time!

To be continued in Chapter 6: Enemies