For most of the next day, I just followed Nico around because he asked me to. Which meant that we basically went everywhere as he tried everything from sword fighting to navigating a canoe. When it came to anything that had to do with fighting practice, I just sat out. I was done embarrassing myself. The only thing I am good at is magic. Go figure for a child of Hecate. Though, I will admit I am decent when fighting with a staff, but that isn't particularly...heroic or frightening. I learned that out after my dear mother gifted me a celestial bronze staff. As flattered as I was, let's be honest; no monster is going to run away screaming as I wield a stick in battle. Celestial bronze my butt.

After dinner, I went to visit Hestia by the campfire as everyone prepared for the capture the flag game. I made a habit of at least saying hi to her. Not many people did, but I liked her a lot. I carried a far too heavy helmet with a blue plume on it under my arm as I went over to her.

"Hello, little one," the goddess said.

It was odd to have someone who looked my age say that seriously to me, but I didn't mind since she was kind of waaaaay older than me. Her kind eyes blazed red with fire and she pushed back a strand of brown hair as she smiled.

"I met the new boy," she informed me," Nico di Angelo."

I glanced back to see him pestering Percy Jackson, the Son of Poseidon that people frequently talked about. He had spoken to me for the first time today when Nico and I had run into him while the Ares Cabin was practicing javelin-throwing. He had seemed kind of down, but he'd been nice enough to try and be kind and say hi to us. I'd been really smart and gone mute and blushed. He was cute...but way out of my league. Fourteen year olds just don't go for ten year olds...nope. Anyway, back on track, I was a bit surprised that Nico had noticed Hestia.

"Did he? That's...really kind of nice of him."

Hestia grinned.

"He had so many questions. He was rather sweet."

An image of him asking Hestia how much attack power she had popped into my mind causing me to pull my mouth downwards so as not to laugh.

"It's a shame really...what will come and how it will affect all of you. Especially you two and the others."

I frowned as I felt my stomach tighten. Hestia always gave me hints to future things, but this was a bit more morbid than usual.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice squeaking a bit.

Her eyes were sympathetic as she gently stroked my cheek. Her hand was comfortingly warm, like how I imagined a mother would stroke her child.

"Don't worry too much. You're such good girl. Just...always trust your instincts."

I watched her smile at me before looking back as Chiron began speaking to the teams. When I looked back, Hestia was gone. I sighed in confusion before putting my helmet on and running back to the campers. Reaching Nico, Percy, Beckendorf, and the Stoll twins, Nico ran up to me.

"We're on defense, Iva. Do you have any magic items?"

My hand went to my staff which doubled as a gold ring with a small ruby flame accent that I wore on my right hand's middle finger. If I turned the flame in toward my palm and held out my hand, the staff appeared. I'd never used it before and part of me hoped I would never have to.

"Err...not exactly?" I answered, blushing as I noticed Percy's eyes on me.

At that moment Thalia, our co-captain, called out for us to move out. I was alarmed as Percy tripped over a shield, but he appeared to recover quickly. We made our way to Zeus's Fist, which was a rock formation that looked similar to a fist. That was where we would keep our flag. Percy put us all on guard duty, which was fine. I just hoped that I wouldn't have to embarrass myself by attempting to fight. I listened as Thalia gave out orders, but not very intently. I was on guard duty with the twins, Nico, and a large boy who was a son of Hephaestus. And Percy...but he was more of a lookout than a guard since he climbed up the rocks not too long after Thalia took off. Nico basically had ants in his pants as he tried to follow Percy. I stuck near Beckendorf. He'd probably be more of a target as well as a much better fighter than me.

"Can you guys hold the fort?" Percy called down to Beckendorf at one point.

The big guy was pretty confident. I remained silent as Percy disappeared to cheers from Nico and the Stoll boys. Things basically went downhill from there. The lead Hunter got our flag moments after Percy left and we were not able to chase her down fast enough to get it back. No, I didn't really try too hard. I couldn't really see through the helmet. With that our co-captains lost it. I was concerned as Percy and Thalia starting fighting using godly powers and everything. That was until a weird mummified, creepy thing came floating into the clearing with green mist swirling around it. I hid behind Beckendorf, who put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I shuddered as a voice spoke in my head, and seemingly in everyone else's as well.

I am the spirit of Delphi. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, Seeker, and ask.

I glanced over to see that it was looking at the lead Hunter, Zoe Nightshade. She stepped forward and asked:

"What must I do to help my goddess?"

I yelped and hid further behind the older boy as green mist poured from its mouth. I couldn't even look at it anymore as I heard it say:

Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The bane of Olympus shows the trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

The Titan's curse must one withstand,

And one shall perish by a parent's hand.

I only dared to glance back up when everything was silent. The Oracle was now sitting on a rock. Chiron started to insist that we all move off and go back to our cabins except for the counselors. That left me and Nico going back to the Hermes Cabin by ourselves. We didn't talk at all on our way there. It wasn't until I had wriggled into my bed that Nico began to talk.

"I wonder if Bianca will go..."

I glanced over at Nico.

"Bianca? Is she one of the Hunters?"

He looked over at me with a grim expression.

"Yeah...she's my older sister."

I instantly thought of the girl he always seemed to be staring at from the Hunters. It made sense.

"Maybe she won't. There are quite a few of them anyways."

Nico was quiet. Obviously he didn't think of it the way I did. I lay in my cot trying to fall asleep, but I still knew when he left the cabin. Alone in the cabin, I had no idea that things were about to get really bad for all of us involved with the Greek Gods. I never would have even guessed the part I would have to play in everything, either.