Despite the amazing day I had had, that night I had the strangest dream.
The first sight I was greeted to was a few kids being led forcefully down a street and into a large stone building.
"I told you this was going to happen! We need to act now!" I turned towards the voice to see that I was standing in next to three people all wearing togas. The two that were closest to me, a brunette girl and blond boy, wore golden chest plates and had dark purple capes hanging off their backs. They were both glaring at the third person a skinny, blond boy with a belt that had stuffed animals hanging off of it.
The blond boy in the armor answered. "We don't know they are Greeks, they could just be half-bloods that have managed to survive without getting here, and even if they are-"
The boy with the stuffed animals on his belt interrupted him. "Can't you see it!" He pointed.
"No. Please Octavian reveal to us what no one, but you can see." Said the girl sarcastically. "You've been crying wolf for the past year, what 'proof' do you have this time?" She used air quotes around proof.
"Look at this sword." He motioned for one of the people escorting the prisoners to walk over to him. The guard handed him a bronze sword. "This is NOT imperial gold, I have no idea what kind of metal it is."
The other boy rolled his eyes and said. "Octavian, it's Celestial bronze, we have a few in the armory, all this does is suggest that they're thieves, not Greeks." He took the sword from him and passed it to the girl.
"I don't have time for this." The girl turned away from the boys. "Jason will you meet me in the forum in an hour, we must discuss something." She left the boys behind her.
Jason nodded. "Meet you there." He turned back to Octavian. "Honestly Octavian, you need to get out more. You are just spewing crazy, half-baked ideas at this point." He also turned and walked away.
"You're making a mistake! We need to act before it's too late, all we're doing is giving them more time to prepare to attack us!"
"What I said is final Octavian. Reyna and I will not start a war against an enemy that no one, but you thinks still exists." The boy named Jason barked before walking off in the direction the girl went.
Octavian stomped his foot before storming off in the opposite direction. "Fine. If they don't do something about it then I will"
I woke up quickly. That was weird, I usually slept like a log. The dream seemed foggy now, I only could remember fragments of it. Better not to tell anyone, they might think I'm crazy. I thought as I looked around the cabin.
The lights were off, but I could hear shuffling on the other side of the room. I could see a shape pulling a backpack over it's shoulder. I grabbed my sword from the floor below me and crept over to the shape. "What are you doing!?" I said grabbing the shape's shoulder.
The shape turned towards me. It was Lexie. "Shhh! You'll wake Annabeth!" she whispered angrily.
"Where are you going?" I asked putting my sword down on a desk.
She pulled her jacket's hood up over her head. "I'm going to find Austin and you can't tell Annabeth you saw me leave!" She threw her bow over her shoulder and grabbed a handful of arrows and slid them in her jacket's Pocket.
"Are you crazy!"
"No. I know what I'm doing, I'm going to take one of the Pegasi and take it all the way to San Francisco. Austin told me where he was going before he left camp."
"You'll need somebody who knows the area." I said grabbing my backpack and throwing a pair of clothes inside of it. "I'm going with you."
"No you aren't. What use could you possibly be." She ordered pushing me away from my trunk. "Stay here where it's safe."
"Lexie, I'm not going to let you go alone." I demanded. "Now either I come along with you or I wake Annabeth and we all talk about this." Thinking back, I should have, maybe some things might have been different.
She glared at me. "I hate you sometimes... You'd better not slow me down. I don't take 'I'm a rookie' as an excuse."
"Lets just hurry up and get going before anybody wakes up... I can't believe I'm doing this." I slung my backpack over my shoulders and followed my sister out the door.
"I would have already been gone, by now, so you hurry up." Lexie demanded as we passed by the Nike cabin. She paused as she noticed somebody sitting on the steps to a cabin. " Who's there!" she demanded.
"Sneaking out?" Asked a familiar voice. "I knew you would, I'm all packed. Figured it'd be a challenge, sounds fun." Then Ellie stepped out of the doorway.
"No. I'm not taking anyone else. So sorry, but I've got to be going now. Bye, don't wait up." She said sarcastically as she walked away from her.
I stopped her. "Lex, I think we'll need all the help we can get." I warned. Ellie eyed us from the steps probably trying to figure out a way to change her mind.
"Well I didn't want any help in the first place!" Snapped Lexie.
"Well, you have no choice in me coming, and I want her to come."
Ellie walked over to us. "You should probably stop talking now Sean." She grinned. "You aren't helping your case. I want to come because I want the challenge and because I want to help a friend."
"So you're an adrenaline junkie..." Lexie mumbled, "Just perfect! Look why don't you two go flirt by Zeus' Fist and we'll all forget this ever happened! Okay good! See ya!"
"Quit trying to talk us out of coming with, you're going to need help. I was at the meeting when they talked about your boyfriend going missing so if you want to find him, you are going to need my help." Offered Ellie.
"You're the Nike councilor!?" I asked, a little surprised by the new information.
"I'm the oldest of my brothers and I've been around the longest, so yeah. I am." She bragged.
"Why are you both so insistent on coming with me?"
"Because we want to help, now can I come or not?" Ellie grinned as she adjusted her backpack. "Anyway, you are going to need my help keeping him from getting killed." She slapped my back, making me stumble forward.
"Don't tell him, but I was planning on ditching him at the closest gas station."
"Well now you won't have the chance, can I come or not... You are going to need my information."
Lexie narrowed her eyes at her as if examining how useful she'd be. "Fine. But if either of you slow me down I swear on the River Styx I will ditch you the first chance I get."
"Good, now then." I said cheerfully to break the tension. "Shall we go?"
"Shut up." Lexie said before walking off towards the stables. We both shrugged and took off after her.
"Sean please tell me you know how to ride a Pegasus." Lexie said as she threw a saddle over one of the flying horses.
"Umm..."I stuttered. "About that... Annabeth was-"
"Save it! You better hope Ellie will let you ride with her because I sure as Hades ain't letting you ride with me."
"He can ride with me, I'm fine with it, and this way we don't take half of the camp's pegasi." Ellie offered me her hand and pulled me up behind her. "Comfortable back there?" I nodded. "Okay, we're good, let's get this mobile feast on the road."
Lexie nodded and she and her Pegasus took off in the night. We were about fifty feet in the air when I realized what was going on. "Ahh!" I screamed tightening my grip on Ellie. "Note to self, don't look down!" I yelled over the wind.
"You'll get used to it, I remember I almost fell my first time." The daughter of Nike in front of me mumbled. "Or did I fall? It was all a blur." That didn't really help my confidence. "You'll be fine, just hold on." She chuckled.
"Thanks!" I said sarcastically. "If I fall, I'm taking you with me!" I joked, trying to not focus on the ground below me.
We flew until the sun was on the horizon behind us. Ellie sped up our pegasus to catch up to Lexie. Once we were flying along side her she shouted "We need to let the Pegasi rest, they can't keep up this speed for much longer!" The wind muffled her voice, but I think Lexie heard her because she nodded.
We could see the Washington Monument now, which meant we were nearing Washington D.C. Lexie pointed her winged horse towards the grassy area in front of the Smithsonian.
We all climbed off our Pegasi. "This is bad how did we end up in D.C! That's means we've been heading south this whole time!"Lexie complained as she took her saddlebags off the pegasus."Thank you!" Lexie said snatching the money out of Ellie's hand.
"No, I hold on to the money, it will keep you from disappearing." Said Ellie yanking the money back out of Lexie's hand and shoving it back in her pocket.
"No, I told you I'll ditch you if you slow me down, so just don't do that and we won't have a problem. Plus I didn't have to let you come and I'm the only one that's ever been here before so I know where everything is...more or less."
"Call it insurance, my stolen money, I hold onto it." Ellie said, "Something I learned from my time in the Hermes cabin, never give something to someone who doesn't want you around." She grinned.
"You got that part right." Lexie smirked.
"So where are we going to eat?"
"What's your preference?"
"Somewhere with eggs, I could go for an omelet." I offered. "Maybe some bacon."
"Do you have the money? No. Ellie where would you like to eat."
"I agree with Ginger, I could go for some bacon right now."
"Next thing I know you'll be teaming up against me... but right now that is not a problem because I could use some waffles and hashbrowns. To Waffle House!"
"Never been there, I hope they have orange juice."said Ellie. We followed Lexie off the lawn and towards the city.