Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.

Story: Divided Soul

Chapter 8: Plans and Preparations

Camp Half Blood

The morning sun rose slowly into the sky as Annabeth Chase stepped out of cabin six. Today was the day. The daughter of Athena had planned the perfect escape from Camp Half Blood. Of course Chiron would find out, but not before the demigods and a certain satyr were long gone from Half Blood Hill. Nico di Angelo had arrived the night before and agreed to join Annabeth's group in their search for Percy, and Grover appeared not long after that. He said that he had a dream about Percy, something about him being trapped in a dark place. This information had unnerved the demigods, especially Annabeth, but it didn't lessen their determination to find Castra Semideus.

Thalia and the Hunters were leaving camp in an hour. Thalia told Chiron that they were going to hunt for monsters around the outskirts of camp. Chiron knew better than to question the lieutenant of Artemis, especially when hunting monsters was concerned. In reality the Hunters of Artemis were heading to California and would rendezvous with Annabeth's group a day later in San Francisco.

Annabeth walked toward the stables before veering off into the woods. As she approached a small hill, a cave entrance came into view. The cave didn't look like much, but it was a magic cave created by Apollo himself. Inside this cave was Annabeth's friend and the current oracle of Delphi, Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

Annabeth paused at the entrance to the cave and looked around to make sure no one saw her enter. She walked into the dark cave, but there was a dim light by the back wall. She walked towards the light to see an entrance to a room along the back wall of the cave. A bright orange cloth hung over the entrance, but a small amount of light was still visible.

Annabeth pushed past the cloth as she entered the room. She looked around the room to see the walls painted with enormous murals showing scenes of battle and triumph. One scene in particular caught Annabeth's attention; it was the fight between Percy Jackson and his half brother Antaeus, son of Gaea. The image showed Percy with Riptide held over his head in triumph, his green eyes dark like the forest at night, and the look on his face sent a visible shiver down the daughter of Athena's spine.

"Annabeth," Rachel called. Annabeth jumped at the sound of her name.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Annabeth tore her eyes away from the mural to look at Rachel. The oracle's red hair was down to her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes shined in the brightly lit room.

"I'm okay, that mural always gives me a strange feeling," Annabeth said.

Rachel looked at the mural, and then back to her friend. "You're worried that he might be like that now?" Rachel asked as she pointed toward the painting of Percy. Annabeth nodded sadly.

"Is everyone ready?" Rachel asked changing the subject quickly.

Annabeth smiled at her friend thankfully. "Don't worry, Chiron won't be mad at you," Annabeth reassured.

"I know, but he's been so nice to me, I don't like lying to him," Rachel confided.

"Me neither, but we have to do this, for Percy."

Rachel nodded a determined look now on her face. "For Percy," she repeated before she walked off towards the Big House.

Annabeth walked back through camp and toward the beach. As she reached the sandy shore a dark haired figure sat in the sand with her silver tiara on her head.

"Thalia," Annabeth said with a surprised expression in her face.

Thalia turned around and nodded. "We didn't get to talk after the meeting yesterday," Thalia said. Annabeth looked at her friend with an irritated glare; Thalia's eyes showed annoyance, worry and something else, sadness.

"You know I miss him too," Thalia confessed.

Annabeth's irritated expression softened. "I know, sometimes I forget that."

"Why are you so set on getting to the Roman camp early?"

"I told you my reasons."

"Don't give me that crap, the others can fall for it, but I won't. I know you too well. Tell me the real reason," Thalia demanded.

Annabeth sighed. She had a defeated look on her face. She knew that Thalia was right and there was no way she could win this argument. "Percy is in real trouble. And I don't mean from the enemy."

Thalia eyed her friend curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"My mom figured it out. She found out what Percy saw in the Styx, she found out what ties him to the mortal world."

"You already knew, didn't you?" Thalia asked accusingly. Annabeth just stared at the ground, avoiding her friends glare.

Annabeth nodded slightly. She continued to stare down at the ground sadly. "I'm the one that ties him to mortality."

Thalia's eyes widened before a bright smile spread across her face.

"Then what's wrong? That's a good thing, right?" Thalia gave her friend a confused look.

"Yes, but he doesn't remember me. He's lost his link to the mortal world," Annabeth explained.

"Okay…" Thalia said slowly. "But how does that put him in danger?"

Annabeth looked up at her friend. The daughter of Athena's eyes was filled with sadness and worry. Thalia's glare softened at the desperate look on her best friend's face. "My mom thinks that Percy will become like Achilles. He will only live for battle. He will become isolated and will shun friendship. He will close himself off. He may become just as arrogant as Achilles… and that will lead to his downfall."

Thalia placed her hand on Annabeth's shoulder and looked into her grey eyes. "I'm sorry. We'll help him, even if I have to kick his ass."

Annabeth smiled at her friend, and then hugged her. "Thank you."

Thalia pulled them apart. "Don't mention it. Now let's get this show on the road."

Castra Semideus

Scipio stood in the sand of the beach as he looked out over the rough waters of San Francisco Bay. A storm was brewing somewhere offshore. The ocean had been restless the entire time that Scipio had been at the Roman camp. No one understood the reason for the rough seas and weather, except for the gods.

Scipio turned away from the water as he watched the first legion practice the fighting techniques that he taught them. Scipio was mildly surprised by how quickly they learned, much faster than the other legions he would teach later in the day.

Scipio watched Gwendolyn Sagitto, daughter of Apollo, Reyna Cato, daughter of Minerva, and Hazel Farmer, daughter of Ceres, train. The three female demigods had become proficient in the new fighting style. The Consul of Rome approached the trio as they continued to practice. When they saw him they stopped immediately. They stood side-by-side and as straight as a board.

"Consul," all three said at the same time.

Scipio stopped in front of them. "I must commend all three of you on your grasp of this new fighting technique. I expect nothing less than perfection from the first legion," Scipio said.

"Yes, sir," the three answered.

Scipio nodded as he walked away from the three. Scipio stared at the other members of the first legion. Bobby Cato, son of Minerva, and Dakota Martin, son of Mercury, practiced the techniques, but seemed to struggle more than the girls. "Don't rest on the balls of your feet. You need to use the arch of your foot and your toes," Scipio instructed.

Bobby and Dakota both stopped and stood straight when they heard Scipio's voice. "Yes sir," they both said.

Scipio nodded as he walked on to the last two members of the first legion present. Frank Durant and his siblings were working tirelessly on the guns for the legion while everyone else practiced the new fighting style. That left Alex Constantine, son of Mars, and Hector Leon, son of Virtus, as the remaining members of the first legion on the beach. The two young men sparred against each other, neither one with an advantage. Alex tried to swipe Hector's legs out from under him, but the son of Virtus just jumped over the leg sweep. The two continued to spar as Scipio approached.

They both stopped immediately as Scipio stood at their sides. "Sir," Alex and Hector said at once.

"You two are the best in your legion, I must give both of you credit for your success. Would you both like to test your skill?" Scipio asked. Alex and Hector both looked at their Consul in surprise. "Well?"

"Yes sir," Alex and Hector said quickly.

Scipio smiled at the two before he stood across from them in a perfect stance. The two Romans looked at their leader warily. Alex and Hector moved into their fighting stance. Alex lunged forward with a perfect thrust while sending a spin kick towards Scipio's unprotected left side. Scipio crouched and rolled under the kick. Instead of standing up quickly Scipio sprang forward. Alex backed up in surprise and barely blocked Scipio's punch. The sound of the block echoed across the beach.

Hector used the opportunity to strike; he lunged forward with a punch only to be met with Scipio's left arm. The Consul of Rome easily deflected the blow.

Hector and Alex looked at each other, and then nodded. They charged forward. Hector sent a jump kick toward Scipio as Alex sent a round house kick toward his leader. Scipio stayed motionless until the two blows came closer. As the two kicks approached Scipio leapt backwards. The two Roman's kicks hit each other at the same time with a loud crack. It was clear that they had fractured their two legs in the collision.

They both jumped up and down on one leg in pain. But before they could even blink Scipio was upon them. In a blur of motion Scipio landed precise hits to each opponent. He hit the two Romans with his open hand and not his fists. Once he completed his attacks, he just stood in front of Alex and Hector as if he was appraising his work. The two demigods stood like statues; they had even stopped jumping from their injured legs.

Reyna ran over to them and just looked at Alex and Hector in awe. The two boys could move their eyes, but the rest of their bodies were paralyzed. "What did you do?" Reyna asked worriedly.

"It was a special pressure point attack. These two are very good; I couldn't defeat them normally without injuring them severely, so I used this technique. It was one that I found studying a book on ancient martial arts," Scipio said as he walked around the two paralyzed demigods. "It only immobilizes."

Scipio's hands moved again in a flurry of hits upon the two Romans until they both collapsed onto the sand.

Reyna knelt down in front of her legion mates. "Are you two okay?" Reyna asked.

Hector and Alex both stared at their Praetor in shock. "My leg hurts," Alex pouted. Hector nodded in agreement.

Scipio chuckled slightly before his usual serious expression returned. "You'll both be fine. Bobby and Dakota, help them to the infirmary," Scipio said. He looked at the height of the sun in the sky before turning to the rest of the first legion. "This training session is over, go on to your next activities." Scipio gave a slight nod to Reyna before he strode off toward the command tent.

Scipio stopped in front of the tent. He stared at the tent flap as if he was lost in thought. He pushed through the flap and entered. Lupa stood on all four legs in her wolf form. Scipio didn't seem surprised to see her.

"Lupa," Scipio said.

The wolf looked at the son of Neptune suspiciously.

"There's something you're not telling me."

Scipio sighed softly. "You're right, of course. As you must suspect, since Khione is allied with Terra- "

"Other gods must be allied with her as well," Lupa finished.

"Exactly," Scipio agreed. "But we don't know who they are, yet."

"Tartarus has to be helping her," Lupa suggested.

"Agreed, that is the only logical way for monsters to reform so quickly."

"Will these guns really help counter that?"

"I believe so. At least, Mars thought it would."

Lupa nodded. "So, we just hold off these attacks until the Greeks arrive?"

Scipio sighed again, running a hand through his short black hair. "I don't like to play defense so much either, but we have no choice," Scipio conceded.

"What I can't fathom is how the enemy is able to get here. Castra Semideus is on an island," Lupa said.

"Well, I think that should be obvious. They're getting help from a sea god."

"Yes, but who?" Lupa asked worriedly as she paced in front of her fellow Consul.

"That's one piece of information that we need before we sail to Greece," Scipio said.

"You're hoping to find out during the battle?" Lupa asked.

"Of course. Certain monsters can't ever shut up about their allies," Scipio said.

"Who do you think it is?"

Scipio looked down at the map of California. "Oceanus would be the most likely assumption." Something in his voice sounded skeptical.

"You don't seem so sure about that."

Scipio smiled at the mother of Rome. "I hope it's Oceanus; if not then we're in bigger trouble."

"Who else could it be?"

"I think since Terra and Tartarus are involved, then why not other primordial gods?"

"You're talking about Pontus, aren't you?"

Scipio nodded. "If he's involved, then Terra's other children will be as well."

Lupa nodded. The wolf frowned as she thought about the consequences of fighting other ancient gods.

AN: A little filler chapter, but we know that Tartarus is Terra/Gaea's brother, but Pontus is Gaea/Terra's child and he has many brothers and sisters besides the giants. Another great job by Starlit Reader my Beta. Stay tuned there will be action next chapter.