"Uh, guys, don't we have a mission to focus on?" Percy asked.
"Yes, but we still don't know very much about the evil maiden." Hazel answered.
Leo yawned. "Also, it's very late. We need some sleep."
"You're right. We continue our hunt tomorrow." I said.
We got some apartments in New Rome and I immediately fell asleep. Once again, my dreams were not nice to me. I saw a black cloaked figure roaming the ruins of Mount Othyrs. They walked up the Mountain of Despair to where Atlas was chained.
"A visitor? I haven't had company in nearly a decade. What are you doing here? Did you come to taunt me?" he asked.
"I did not come here to taunt you, Atlas, but rather to assist you." a feminine voice answered. "I have a plan to free you from your punishment."
"What exactly is your plan?"
"To force Artemis into holding the weight of sky."
He looked at her skeptically. "I tried that several years ago, but I was eventually forced back into taking the burden again."
"I assure you; this time it will work."
"You're really willing to take the burden of the sky? Just who are you anyway?"
The maiden took down her hood, revealing her long black hair and blue eyes. "I am just a mortal girl. Bear in mind, Atlas, if you try to betray me like you did with Hercules, I know a friend of mine who can take the burden, and I will find you and force you back into your punishment."
Atlas remained calm. "Alright, what's the plan?"
"After I take the burden, I'll mentally pray to Artemis. You will stay in this area and hide behind that pile of rocks. She'll take the burden, after which you'll reveal yourself, and then we continue on forward."
"Alright. Let's do it."
She entangled herself in the chains and Atlas got up. The maiden groaned in agony, then breathed in, and out. I heard her say the words in her mind: Artemis, please, help me. I've been tricked into holding the burden of the sky. I don't know how much longer I can take this. You won't let the sky fall... Please... Help me.
Sometime later, Artemis teleported to the bottom of the Mountain of Despair. She ran up and saw the maiden.
"Young lady, are you alright?"
"Yes. Please hurry. Take this weight off my shoulders, please!"
Artemis willingly took the burden and the maiden got up. "Thank you, Lady Artemis."
"How did you get into this? Did Atlas trick you?"
The maiden smirked. "No. I tricked you." she answered. Atlas came out from behind his hiding place and Artemis gasped. "See? I told you this would work."
"You tricked me! How could..." she gasped again. For a brief moment, she could see a faint silver aura. The aura of her hunters. "You're... you're a hunter?!"
"Indeed. I am a hunter. You thought I perished long ago, but you were wrong." she answered.
Atlas turned towards the maiden. "You're a Hunter of Artemis?! You lied to me!"
"But I lied for good reason. If you knew I was an immortal, you would have left me to suffer your curse for eternity." she retorted.
"Who... who are you?!" Artemis lashed out in anger.
"That matters not. Now then, we need to move on to the next part of the plan." she said, before turning to Atlas. "Let's get going now, shall we?"
The two teleported away, and then the scene switched. Nathan was seen in the cage of bones. He was on his knees, almost as if he was praying.
I can't believe that I failed. I was supposed to kill Frank, and I failed miserably. Forgive me, Mistress.
You may have failed there, but at the same time, Reyna is now dead. Meaning that Percy will take her place.
I'm trying to become the Praetor of Camp Jupiter. Now I'm trapped in a cage of bones.
This is only a temporary setback. Percy and Frank don't want to stay at Camp Jupiter, and the Praetors have to stay here to prevent damage to Camp Jupiter because of the curse. If one of them leaves, you can take their place.
You may be right. Where is Gwen?
I do not know, but this does not matter to us. She can not stop us.
The scene switched to Gwen. She was rocketing through the underground at very fast speeds. She wasn't exactly shadow traveling, but she still moved rapidly. Eventually, a crack formed and she arose from the ground. She stood in Seattle, and walked into the Amazon compound. Two guards formed an X over the door with their spears.
"Halt! Who goes there?" asked the first guard.
"Gwendolyn Ishimaya. I wish to speak to your Queen, Hylla Ramirez-Arellano." she answered.
"Are you from Camp Jupiter?" the second one asked.
"Yes. I have come here on behalf of her sister, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano."
The first one looked at the second one skeptically, then turned back to Gwen. "Very well. You may enter, but we are watching your every move. If you say or do one wrong thing, you will be thrown into the dungeons."
Gwen walked forward. Eventually, she found Hylla. She was sitting on a golden throne, sipping tea.
"Queen Hylla, may I have a moment of your time?"
The queen arose and smiled upon seeing her. "Gwendolyn, I remember you. Please, sit. Have some tea."
Gwen sat down on a wooden stool. "Hylla, do you know anything about Pylosian Mint, more specifically, a cure for it?"
"Not really. I believe the Golden Fleece would be able to cure it, but I heard a terrible rumor that the Golden Fleece was stolen."
"That rumor is true, unfortunately. Some evil maiden has been up to no good. Percy and his friends are trying to stop that said evil."
"Why aren't you with them?" Hylla asked.
"Because I'm on a mission of my own. I have good news, bad news, worse news, and horrible news. The bad news is that Reyna is dead." Gwen answered. Hylla gasped. "The worse news is that no one, except for the seven demigods and me, knows of Reyna's death, or Nathan's current whereabouts. The good news, is that I have a chance to resurrect Reyna. The horrible news, is that I have only a month to do it."
"Oh." she said. "And what happens if you fail?"
"Never mind that. Can you help me?"
"I know nothing about Pylosian Mint, but I do know someone who does. Speak to Circe, daughter of Hecate, the goddess of magic. Since you are a girl, she will be kind to you. But do not bring any men there, otherwise they will be turned into guinea pigs."
"Guinea pigs? Why guinea pigs?"
Hylla shrugged. She then got out a scroll of parchment. "This is a map to C.C's Spa and Resort." She placed a purple pin on the map towards the tip of the triangle. "That is where Circe is. It may take a long time to get there. C.C's Spa and Resort is located in the Sea of Monsters, which in today's modern society, is in the Bermuda Triangle, off the coast of Florida. Getting there will not be an easy task."
Gwen hung her head in defeat. "Figures. There two entrances to the Sea of Monsters. One is surrounded by Scylla and Charybdis. The other is Clashing Rocks. Both of which have a low chance of survival."
"But there is a way to avoid them." Hylla said. Gwen lifted her head. "There's a third entrance. It's known of by so few people. It'll take longer to get to C.C's Spa and Resort, but it's a thousand times safer. You must first go to the Bahamas. After you reach the shores of the Bahamas, acquire a small boat, like no larger than a fishing boat. You must then sail out to sea. If you use a smaller boat, the monsters are less likely to notice you. Circe's Island is located closer to the top of the triangle, and it would increase your travel time by several days. I wish you best of luck on your journey."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Gwen said, bowing before Hylla.
I woke up, feeling dizzy upon standing. I tried to shake it off and joined the others for brunch.