The Future May or May Not Suck
Do you guys really need a disclaimer printed at the top of this page? Clearly I don't own any of this (except for the Survivors- find out later).
GodFact: Just keep reading. I swear I'm not glorifying anyone, including myself.
Guest Reviewer: Really? Fine, if I can't explain anything to you, then keep reading and find out yourself. You'll find out how the demigods react to the reality of Western Civilisation and their 'loving' parents soon enough.
PS: If you don't like Rick Riordan's work, DON'T take it up with ME. Take it with HIM, for creating half-breed 'abominations' like Percy Jackson and making them heroes. Your words, not mine.
As hopless as it was, Rachel closed her eyes and tried to focus. But the visions were blurred. They made no sense, completely meaningless. She opened her eyes in frustration.
"Well?" An annoying voice drawled out. Rachel turned to scowl at Aaron, New Rome's new augur and (unwanted) guest at Camp Half-Blood- and Rachel's cave. The Romans couldn't risk keeping all their rotten eggs in one basket. Normally, Rachel knew better than to discriminate, but her previous experience with New Rome's last augur, didn't make her any more eager to meet a new one. This one was just plain annoying.
And completely condenscending.
Ever since the disaster in New York with the aliens, Rachel's attempts to get in touch with the Spirit of Delphi felt disjointed; like the spirit couldn't find the right pathway to channel itself into Rachel, its host. It also spoke in babbles.
"Clearly, nothing's working," she muttered through gritted teeth.
Aaron sighed, twiddling Rachel's paintbrush idly. "Maybe try the opium, like Kayla suggested? In limited doses, of course? The ancients found it very helpful."
"Yeah, until they got addicted." She scowled at him.
"Hmm, he has a point," the Herophile Sibyl said from the other side of Rachel's cave. "I remember those too. It might work. Mortals now think they were- what's that word? Five letters, starts with C."
"Crazy," Rachel said glumly. "The word is crazy. Or hopeless. Or stupid."
"I'm pretty sure the last two aren't it," the Sibyl stroked her chin.
"Well," the annoying Roman augur began. "Have you tried that? It's not like we have a series of unlimited options here! The clock's ticking!"
Rachel glared at him. "We are NOT doing drugs in this camp!"
Aaron scoffed. "It's not like we're doing hard-core heroin or cocaine! And do you have a better idea?"
"He's right," Rachel started as she looked at Kayla Knowles, daughter of Apollo, whom she had apparently forgotten was still sitting at the corner of her cave. "We have no other choice. Besides, it'll only be in small doses, and I'll pull you out of it, if your trance gets too deep. The same amount that doctors in the old days used to knock their patients unconscious when they were performing surgery."
In the old days, the traditional medical practice consisted of quack remedies, useless or crazy ones- or all the above. Doctors in battlefield tents would amputate with little to no anaesthesia and without washing their hands or gloves. Treated patients were more likely to die. It wasn't something Rachel was eager to try out.
"Please, just try," Kayla gazed at her with pleading eyes. Rachel held firm, but sighed. She couldn't say no even if she wanted to.
"But where will we even get opium? We don't grow any poppies at the camp and I don't think the medics or doctors can spare extra-" she froze. "The Hypnos Cabin."
"Perfect!" Kayla beamed. "Those guys often go places and see things, like the future in their dreams! It's great!"
Aglaia tossed and turned. How the heck she even thought she could hang onto a few moments of sleep was beyond her.
Eventually when she did fall asleep, she was plagued with dreams. She dreamt in flashes and blurs. She saw the figure of the golden-haired guy flash before her before he disappeared into darkness. She saw her ex-boyfriend from Turkey (though they never officially broke up, she had to admit). She saw an unimaginably beautiful woman, with dark hair floating all around her, and a strangely familiar face; slender, delicate hands reaching out to her. Laia looked down and nearly had a heart-attack. She had a tail with silver scales, long and tapering, edged with broad lancet fins at the end. She was a freaking mermaid.
And somehow, Aglaia knew that it was the same woman she saw in the water. The mermaid whispered something to Aglaia.
She saw storms, hurricanes and lightning. Thunder crashed, and so did the waves.
She saw three old women, wrinkled and stooped with grey hair, knitting something in between them. There was a spinning wheel, a pair of knitting needles and a sewing needle, and a large pair of scissors, like shears.
Then the waters rose. The sea was chaotic. Even the monsters, and she could see them thrashing violently within the waves, were screaming in panic and agony. She never thought she would feel sorry for them. The water turned black, like it was poisoned.
She saw the women again. Decide, they whispered to her in their raspy voices. Decide.
A new Age approaches, they warned her. Prepare yourself.
The waters rose but receded, and Laia saw an island. An island paradise. It had white-sand beaches; old, snow-capped mountains; lush primeval forests; gorgeous meadows dotted with flowers; grasslands; emerald valleys; hills; and countless bodies of water, sparkling and shining in the sun. And in the middle lay a city.
A city divided into three parts: one was made of melllow, light-coloured stone with pastel-colours, like golden or cream. They had domed roofs, sheathed in copper, like the old Byzantine buildings she had seen in Turkey. She drew a breath as she soaked up the beauty: not just the splendid architecture. Flowers were everywhere; spilling from the tops of walls and trellises along with climbing ivy; blooming from window-boxes; lining steps in pots; hanging in wall-brackets and twining themselves around pillars and archways. She could see that this place held everything from expensive boutiques, stores, a large shopping mall, shops, fancy restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, big spa baths, luxurious villas, parks, public gardens and boulevards, even a marketplace.
It all looked astoundingly clean. She looked westwards, and somehow, she just knew there was another city there, but it was mostly forest, like wild nature and civilisation somehow meeting and being at peace with one another. She looked to the north and Aglaia actually gasped.
It was a city that looked somewhere between futuristic, contemporary and ancient. Neo-classical, she recognised, with rectangular buildings which had external colonnades, fluted columns and pitched roofs. But a number of the buildings were skyscrapers, the kind you saw in big cities. They were just as tall and she sensed that they were extremely advanced.
Whoever built this had advanced to the level beyond not only the ancients, but modern-day society. She saw an agora, an assembly building like a parliament or a senate, a university, a library, countless schools and academies, workshops, offices, laboratories, hospitals, apartments, even a bank.
Where am I? Laia was bewildered.
New Athens, someone whispered.
Laia turned wildly. Nothing. And no one. The city wasn't populated. Yet.
Suddenly, in one of the buildings, a pair of double doors swung open. Aglaia found herself at the foot of the stairs. Slowly, she walked up. For the first time, to her mild surprise, she saw that she was wearing an Ancient Greek-inspired column dress. The white cloth billowed around her. But she knew the ancients actually had colourful clothes.
Laia appeared in a long hall, with a high roof. There were many statues, she saw. Metal and stone, of various people in strong, heroic poses or radiating the same aura. They were heroes. Aglaia could pick out Heracles, Theseus, Perseus (her favourite), Bellerophon and many others. But she could also see that, like what Chiron said, these heroes transcended the ancient world. Several historical figures that she recognised were there as well, and figures that she didn't recognise but somehow felt familiar.
She stopped dead when she saw one of them. She recognised him. Laia walked over to the statue and she didn't need to read the plaque underneath to know who this was.
Percy Jackson. He was holding his pen-sword- which Annabeth called Anaklusmos or Riptide- in full form. A Hero of Olympus. He didn't have any candles at his feet, unlike most of the others, though.
Aglaia looked forwards. She saw a statue of herself. Just as shockingly, she saw a statue of the guy she kept seeing in her dreams.
"HELP! HELP! WAKE UP! THEY'RE ATTACKING- THEY'RE ATTACKI-" The sentence jolted her- and everyone else- from their sleep as Laia looked and saw the figure of a twelve-year-old boy choking, gurgling on his own blood. A bloodied sword portruded from his upper chest.
A woman with flaming hair and evil eyes hissed. She might've been beautiful, with a great figure and a nice dress, had she not been so evil and deformed, with fangs, one bronze leg and one donkey leg. The creature pulled the sword from the kid's back. He fell to the ground.
Just then everyone and everything attacked.
Monsters and warriors clashed with one another in a blur of bronze, gold and whatever else was there at hand. Some fully armoured guys were already there- some were already geared up for combat. Everyone slept in shifts, but the monsters had broken through what was supposed to be a safe area: the cabins.
She had been sleeping in open air because there was no room in any of the cabins. Laia frantically saw a small kid about to get skewered, before she tossed the nearest thing she could find- her sleeping bag- at the monster. She hurled the kid out of the way.
The monster spluttered. It looked horrible. It- or he, to be more accurate, was a fat, ugly naked guy with a beard, a red nose and an ugly sneer. It might've been a centaur, except that it's front legs- and horny feet- looked human. It's back legs on the other hand, were all horse, attached to a horse's body. It also had a horse's ears and mane. The monster leered at her.
Aglaia instinctively drew the kid back. Something else told her to look down. She saw it, on her wrist, the bracelet winking at her. Aglaia couldn't explain how or why, but she grabbed one of the charms- the one that looked like a sword...
And pulled a fully grown weapon of Celestial Bronze from the bracelet. Eyes wide, Laia nearly dropped the blade.
The monster hissed. Its teeth were yellowed and stained, it looked hesitantly. But then it snarled and swung its heavy bronze battle-axe at them.
Laia dodged. She pushed the kid backwards at the same time, and avoided the monster's swing. Side-stepping it, she swung the blade at the horse back of the creature. It howled and backhanded her. Laia fell to the ground. The monster reared, meaning to trample her. She frantically rolled out of the way, getting to her feet. It swung the axe frantically, but she dodged and met the handle of the weapon with her own, kicking the male torso- or rather, the, ahem, male parts of the monster. (don't monsters wear underwear?) before she grabbed a thick arm, used it to swing herself to the side and brought down the blade onto said limb. The monster howled.
The arm fell to the ground, severed. Laia didn't waste any time, plunging the weapon into his chest and he disintegrated. "Get back!" She shouted to the shocked kid.
Laia ran through the ranks of warriors, not certain who she was looking for. A snake-woman- Scythian Dracaena, swung a curved scimitar at her, but she side-stepped and sliced the woman's arm and torso. Something wasn't right. This didn't feel right. Laia looked down at her new bracelet and saw the charm of another sword, hanging from where she had pulled the first weapon from.
She tugged it out, watched it grow to full length and suddenly, she felt great. Better than she had in a long, long time. Power rushed through her veins, filling her from head to toe, as she brandished both swords; one in her right hand and one in her left.
She charged.
She lost track of time. She lost track of anything. She relied on some long-forgotten or newly-found battlefield instinct- and some deeply-buried way of thinking; a way to analyse an opponent for its weak points, to get rid of it as quickly as possible, to stay one step ahead or two.
Laia didn't know anything on how she did that. She only knew one thing: that these were enemies and enemies needed to be eliminated... Permanently.
"What makes you so certain that this is a good idea?" Mizuki asked critically as she watched Alex. "What makes you so certain that you can trust him?"
"I'm not certain," Alex said as if this explained everything. "That's why I'm agreeing to it."
Drypêtis' eyes showed her realisation. "That's why you're sending him out there. This is a-" but before she could finish the doors slid open automatically and Jason stepped in.
Alex surveyed him from head to toe. Jason was dressed in black, with patent-leather boots linked with chains of gold. He had two kitanas sheathed and crossed on his back, a set of hunting knives and daggers, throwing stars, his new gladius that Drypêtis had made for him and a pair of nunchucks.
Alex saw that Jason looked vaguely uncomfortable. He smirked. "Are we really going to use all this?" He asked.
"These are just for show," Alex remarked calmly, circling him. "You're well-known, as a Hero of Olympus, so we have to disguise you. But that's not the only reason. If you show up looking out of place, you'll be zeroed at in no time. If you show up with hidden weapons or looking like you're underarmed, they'll definitely pick you out. And the exact thing that could compromise our safety is if you stand out from the crowd- so stay in the middle of the group at all times- unless you wish to be outgunned, endanger yourself and your team." Alex looked Jason dead in the eye, and Jason knew that this was an order.
"A reasonably nasty arsenal of weapons would be enough to detera sneak-thief or any other criminal," Drypêtis stated. "DON'T leave the middle- the exact middle- of the group you're with- stick with the crowd, walk like them, and for crying out loud, don't speak- don't try to get recognised. Even the way you walk may get you spotted. And that is dangerous beyond compare." She gave him a stern glare.
Jason sighed. "I'm not doing anything."
"Yes, don't leave the group and try to trust them because you'll all be depending on each other to work together as a team, just in case things go horribly wrong," Alex said dryly.
Jason frowned. "Where are we going? You haven't told me anything."
"You're going to a place known as the Crossroads, or the In-Between," Drypêtis explained helpfully. "The gods don't know about it- in fact, no god knows about it. Neither gods nor monsters are able to enter the In-Between."
"The what?"
"In that sense, it sounds like what mortals would call a 'criminal underworld' for the supernatural, except there's no drug trafficking, prostitution or the mafia," Alex said, amused. "But if the gods knew about it, they'd sure as hell try to exterminate it and anyone who uses it- except that they'll fail. Your father doesn't like the idea of a power that might equal his, or something beyond his influence, or anything that might escape his notice- in his eyes, they're all potential threats, even if they do save lives. But it's always existed and it will always continue existing, regardless whether any god likes it or not. The In-Between is, as I've said, a place where no gods or monsters can cross. A place between the barriers and territories of various pantheons and cosmologies. It's not in the physical world, but we can enter it in physical form. Just ask yourself, if all these different gods from all these civilisations and cultures exist, when do you leave Poseidon's territory and go to Aegir and Ran's or Njörd, the Norse gods of the sea. In the mortal world, you'll simply cross over from one territory or another, but the In-Between is, as its name suggests. Somewhere where non-deities that belong in various cosmologies will be able to meet."
Jason tried to absorb this. A place where people of different pantheons could meet... Where no god entered...
"You'll be heading with Mizuki, Eleana and Drypêtis, among with some others." Alex remarked. "Not too many, just enough to keep you all safe and not draw attention- and you'll have to work with each other."
Jason frowned."So we'll have to be prepared for anything." By the sounds of it, this In-Between was a dangerous place.
"Wow, so he isn't an idiot," Mizuki said dryly, reminding him of her presence. She looked at Alex. "It's time. We have to See what's ahead before we set out." Alex nodded.
The doors slid open again. Eleana came in. She stopped when she saw Jason and smirked. "Nice," she said. "Put some gel on your head, shave it into a Mohawk, and you will certainly not look out of place amongst some mortals."
Jason shifted uneasily. He had the urge to go back and strip everything from him. Jason admitted he looked a bit more punk than he should have liked; a bit more like Thalia, he realised, remembering seeing himself in the mirror. It served to highlight the resemblance between them. Before that, Jason couldn't see any resemblance between them, but now looking at the mirror, he saw they had the same profile, the same expression when they brooded, which was actually more of a frown on Jason, but a scowl for Thalia. Reyna had once said that Jason looked like an all-American kid, and Thalia looked the one who beat up the all-American kids.
"Now, now, Eleana," Drypêtis warned. This only made her smirk widen. Jason saw that Eleana was wearing a lacy black cocktail dress and an overall party look.
Jason noted that Eleana was carrying a deck of cards. Mizuki had another one spread out on the desk before her.
Suddenly, Alex and Drypêtis gathered around, prompting Jason to do the same.
"Tarot Cards?" He asked. No one answered.
Almost immediately, Eleana withdrew one. "Death?" Jason looked uneasy.
The card had the picture of a skeletal man in a ragged black cape holding a scythe that looked eerily similar to Saturn or Kronos'. The card had the word Death written beneath the picture in italics.
"Not always," Drypêtis assured him. "A single Tarot card can have many meanings, and this one is easily one of the most misunderstood cards."
"Exactly," Eleana nodded, all traces of humour gone, concentrating all her focus suddenly on the cards and what the future might bring. "It could literally mean death, but it doesn't always mean that. In this case, it is both positive and negative." Her blue eyes gleamed. "It's the end of an era, a sudden and unexpected change- and you will all have to adapt quickly in order to survive and flourish. Whatever will soon happen, this card tells us that it will be a major part in our lives. Something is coming," she said, an urgency in her voice. "Bad things will happen, yes, but also good. It will be different from anything that you expected and anything that you've known." She smirked again, her humour returning. "Our friend Laia once said that it's amazing how often curses and blessings go hand-in-hand together." She picked up the cards and shuffled the deck.
Mizuki shuffled and drew two cards in quick succession before her. "The Magician," she remarked. "And the High Priestess." Jason saw that one card was painted with a man holding a staff or a wand, standing over a table with a golden chalice, wearing a pointed hat and a long beard. The other card was a woman dressed in blue with long flowing black hair, a wand in one hand and some kind of tiara shaped like a crescent moon. "What does that mean?"
"The Magician symbolises meaning. Very important. There is someone who will need to find meaning in their lives. Their future depends upon it. They will seek it within their subconscious, in their subconscious state and in their conscious state." Jason didn't know what that meant, but he knew better than to question them. If there was one thing you learned in the Greek and Roman world, it was never to question a Seer- unless it was Octavian. "We will all need to find meaning and purpose in our lives, but this person's life will depend on it more than most." Eleana's brow furrowed. "The High Priestess symbolises intuition, psychic energy and the dream world- that is, the subconscious realm. It also symbolises feelings and emotions. Whoever this person is... Something is buried deep within the subconscious, within the memories-" she froze.
Eleana turned, startled, at Alex. "Surely this doesn't mean her does it?" She demanded. "We've tried over a thousand times, we've never managed to read her future before."
Alex looked troubled. "Keep reading," he suggested.
It was clear that Jason wasn't going to find out who this her was. His suspicion grew. Eleana started shuffling the cards again.
"The High Priestess connects you to instinctual powers- powers that will open up for this person," she said, disturbed. "Something buried deep within and forgotten is about to be revealed. Terrible truths will soon come to light, through this one person, all shall be revealed." She sounded very troubled. "But this shall also show her the true meaning of life- it will show us all. In short, an age will come to an end, and a new era will begin- and it will affect everyone- not least of which, is this person."
"But who is this person?" Jason interjected. "That's the most important thing." No one was able to answer him.
"Their inner strength will be unlocked," Mizuki murmured, wide-eyed as she took in the cards in front of them. "Their wisdom, their knowledge and abilities... It will show her the way." She looked shocked, which stunned Jason, because Mizuki didn't look like the kind of person who was could be moved at all.
"It could be anyone," Eleana said sharply. Something told Jason she wasn't being entirely truthful, just denying herself. She pulled out another card.
"The Fool," her brow furrowed. The card held the picture of a man in a medieval jester's costume with a squared doublet and leggings, and a four-pointed hat with bells. A spotted dog bit down on his pants, trying to pull him back. He carried a stick with a cloth bag tied to its end over one shoulder.
"Fools aren't fools in this sense," Eleana stated. "In fact, this card symbolises what may be the wisest one- it means enlightenment. A new cycle is about to begin." She looked up at Alex and Jason. "And it involves trust." She grew even more serious. "It needs to. We have to trust in order to survive- and cooperate. But our nature is holding us back, it is pulling us into the ground." She pointed to the dog with a single, manicured finger. "We must continue, regardless."
Alex was grim and silent, but nodded.
"Wise, yet innocent- a child deep down," Mizuki murmured. Eleana looked at her. Mizuki drew another card. "The lovers," she stated, mouth twisting at the name.
This card was painted with a man and a woman, entwined like Hermes'/Mercury's snakes, kissing. "If all goes well and balance is achieved, soulmates shall be found."
"And here I was expecting something else," Alex said dryly. Drypêtis snorted.
Suddenly, Eleana eyed Jason. Her manicured fingers drummed at the cards. "You draw one," she suggested.
Jason was hesitant- few things were good if you asked to see your future, in his experience (just remember the Herophile Sibyl)- but he couldn't refuse. He took one from the deck and flipped it.
It was the picture of a man in blue armour, riding a green chariot. "The Chariot," Eleana murmured, thoughtfully. Jason suppressed the urge to shiver; there was a strange, mystical quality in her voice now, unlike what he'd heard before. "This doesn't just affect you, it affects others as well. Who they are, I cannot say. But it means that you can achieve victory only by controlling yourself- and your thoughts, feelings and emotions. It also means that this victory- if you succeed- will give you what you most desire: a home, a family, nurturing love and care- with the woman you love. Again, this is not just for yourself."
Piper. Jason immediately thought of Piper, his heart jolted. Despite himself, Jason couldn't help but feel hope bloom in his chest. Could this be... But he didn't dare hope or expect more than what he already had. Years in the legion taught him otherwise. He knew better than what happened. Mizuki shuffled her deck and looked towards Alex.
"Draw a card." Alex drew one and flipped it.
Mizuki sucked in a breath and so did Eleana and Drypêtis. Jason looked over and saw that the word Justice written on it. It was painted with a person in yellow and white, holding a sword in one hand and a pair of scales in the other.
"Karmic justice is about to inflict itself," Mizuki breathed. "This is the first I have seen this card in a long time."
"This is the first time we have ever seen this card," Eleana muttered. She looked at Alex.
Alex stood very still. "Does this mean... But we don't know how," he muttered. "This is only one result. What's the journey?"
"To those that have inflicted damage and harm- intentionally or otherwise." Mizuki looked up at him from the cards. "They will pay. But not needlessly or carelessly. This card is justice," she stated clearly. "Not revenge. It also symbolises finding peace within oneself. And others. And marriage," she said dryly.
Alex wasn't impressed. "I'll need more proof." He stated.
Jason half-expected Mizuki and Eleana to be offended and chew them out for Alex just said. Just about every seer Jason knew would. But Eleana just shrugged. She gathered them, and started shuffling more vigorously. "Draw another one," she instructed.
Alex, who always seemed so sceptical, drew another one.
"Strength," Eleana murmured. She pointed at something Jason couldn't see. "There's an infinity symbol over this person's head. Your memories are long, and they are harsher and more painful than most people's, but if you conquer the instincts that will drive you- and everyone else- to their doom, your downfall and theirs- then your fatal flaw does not have to be fatal. Of course, we already knew that your courage and strength is unmatched, but even this will be a test of true strength and power." She smirked up at him. "Draw three," she said, offering him the deck.
Alex drew three more. "The first is the Hanged Man. And this ties to Strength. In fact, all of them are tied together. You may wish to turn the Hanged Man around," she said. "And it's understandable. But things will have to change to a different course, and you will question everything you have previously known. You have to let go of something. You have to surrender a belief that has been a major part of you, in order to choose a new path, one that will bring you lasting happiness, just so that you can turn things around."
They looked at the other card: an upside-down man suspended between and beneath two tree branches. They then looked at the others.
"The Hanged Man indicates that you have been both the Scapegoat and the Martyr, but you have to turn things around," Mizuki repeated. "Only then can you achieve victory." She looked at the others. "Death again. In this case, it symbolises the end of an era, and also a rebirth, like before. For you as well. That much is clear. If you achieve victory over your Doom, your Fatal Flaw and the instincts that drive you towards it, you will have a new beginning, if you can take control the way the Strength and the Hanged Man cards suggests, as well as this new one."
"This is Temperance," Eleana murmured, fingering the next card. "A winged angel with two cups. Very powerful. This represents the Divine Lovers, Soulmates, but also optimism, Higher Knowledge, Wisdom and Truth." She looked at him. "You will uncover something the gods do not know and did not understand. Not until you figure this out- whatever it is- will you achieve the peace and happiness that you truly deserve."
"Well done, Eleana, Mizuki," Alex said dryly. "That's the first time anyone's predicted anything optimistic about my fate."
Jason frowned, wondering why Alex would ever say such a thing, but then Mizuki murmured: "Beware." She gathered and shuffled the cards, drawing one. 'The Devil." She looked grimly into his eyes. "Your father."
Alex scoffed. "Now that's more like it." "Your father?" Jason frowned.
"Let's just say, he's not the nicest fellow," Alex said dryly, nodding towards the card. It showed a green-skinned man with red, slit-pupiled eyes; horns; a pair of gigantic bat wings; and legs that looked suspiciously like a faun's or satyr's- Coach Hedge's. The figure grinned maliciously seated on a throne of thorns.
"This isn't just your father. This card symbolises fear itself. But since you don't feel fear the normal way-" The normal way? Jason was too afraid to ask. "It also symbolises your demons. The dark side lurking within the shadow of your subconscious which needs to be overcome. Your instinct that drive you- and everyone else- to their Doom. That is what will threaten you- that alongside your parents."
Parents? Jason was startled, but Alex nodded as if he had been expecting this. "I do not fear him," he murmured. "I fear what happens as a consequence of his actions." He said darkly. "He's proven it, time and time again. His callousness, his cold-heartedness, his irresponsibility and self-centredness."
Jason was startled. Whoever Alex's father was, the two looked like they didn't get along. Who was he? Jason wondered.
"He is the authority figure that is represented on this card," Eleana stated. "Normally with authority figures, we would pull out an Emperor card, but here he is, represented as the Devil. But like Mizuki said, there's more than one. There are many devils; one lurks within your subconscious, disguised as a protective instinct; another are the enemies that once captured and enslaved us-" Jason stiffened when he heard that. He was still haunted by what Alex and Drypêtis told him. "The other is your father and the rest of the gods. The card is telling us that these pose the gravest of threats to us- to all their children as a matter of fact." She looked grimly up at them. "Our parents."
"No," Jason found himself saying. "They would never-" But his voice stopped in his throat.
But they did. It was Zeus who shut down Olympus and refused to help until the last minute, even when Gaea started to stir, even when Hera was kidnapped by Porphyrion. Zeus had given his reasons, he remembered. But Jason couldn't help wondering if this was some convenient last-minute excuse, particularly in what came next. It was Zeus who insisted on blaming Apollo and pinning him as a scapegoat before tossing him out of Olympus to battle the Triumvirate on his own. With no powers. And the other gods allowed him. They looked the other way. A powerless Apollo had tried to face the Triumvirate with only a few volunteer allies, like Jason and Piper, and look how that ended. Jason 'died' and he would have really died if it weren't for Alex and these guys pulling the strings and finding a way around the Sibyl's prophecy.
"You are chained by them," Eleana murmured, fingering the figures of a man and a woman at the foot of the devil's throne, bound by chains at the neck. "The Devils chain you." She looked up at Alex and Jason. "There are three more to go."
Jason shifted uneasily. Prophecies should never be taken lightly and they had never made anyone feel easy.
He watched as Alex followed Mizuki's suggestion, drawing three cards and flipping them. "The Star, Judgement and the World." Mizuki breathed.
"The Star represents a vessel of universal knowing, of humanitarian awareness. Individuality, cooperation- and yes- freedom. It brings detachment- meaning that something will set you free from the Devils, and you will find a new way to reinvent yourself." She explained. She showed the card; painted with a large, silver, five-sided star with a human face in the middle, leaving a trail of stardust through the clouds and sky. "This is a promise of what you shall achieve if you follow the advice, overcome the demons- the devils- and your good instincts."
"The Judgement represents freedom. It means that you shall free yourself of the chains of your past and the ones binding you the Devils if you succeed all that has been set forth for you. You will be reborn, renewed. A new life awaits you, Alex, should you listen and take heed of this advice and succeed. The World symbolises completion; the end of your journey." The first card held an angel-figure, from what Jason could see, dressed in blue, floating above the earth, blowing on a golden trumpet. A man, a woman and a child were gazing up at the figure in wonder. They were standing waist-deep in open graves, like they'd just woken up from the dead. Jason felt a chill over his spine, but said nothing. The World card was a large planet earth with a human face, floating above dunes of sand in the night sky.
The two girls looked at him. "Your path has been laid out before you." Mizuki said. "Follow the advice." Eleana said.
"Your path has been laid out for you," Drypêtis repeated Mizuki. "It might not happen that way," Alex said dryly. "Key word being might." Eleana pointed out gently.
"The message is clear," Mizuki said. "This is the clearest answer." Alex said nothing, merely gazed at the cards in silence.
"Answer?" He said slowly, almost dangerously. "No one has been able to solve my problem." The word spoke volumes, Jason was sure it held a deeper hidden meaning than what he would have expected.
"We have seers and anyone with precognitive abilities working around the clock at all times to stay ahead of our enemies and anyone that may be working for the gods," Mizuki stated. She gathered her cards and stacked them. "That was how we managed to save you- and find out about the Herophile Sibyl's prediction before even she did." Eleana stated, looking at Jason. "About your death or Piper's in advance. There were two possibilities that she knew of. We knew it might have been more. Yes, your life-force was disconnected from that body, and your heart literally stopped beating- you were dead, but not long enough to get close to the Underworld before you were pulled out and back into your original body. We started you up with electricity, which worked better on you than on any mortal." Eleana and Mizuki packed the cards away.
"So that's how you stay ahead of everyone else." Jason nodded.
"Among other things. We don't always rely on the Sight. Something you should always know," Mizuki stated, for once thoughful of Jason as she regarded him. "The Sight is unpredictable- any prophecy you may know of, any vision, is open to interpretation. This is no exception. The future is not as set as you may think."
Jason nodded. In a way he understood. "Everyone always acts like the Fates plan everything in advance." He stated.
"Maybe, but not to such an extent," she conceded. Mizuki shook her head. "You have decisions in life; to go right or left; to climb up or to give up and fall down; to do the right but hard thing or the wrong and easy one. That has a major impact on the future. It's always shifting, always in motion. There are countless different possibilities. Our job is to explore them and to warn what is ahead."
"And this is very important," Eleana stated as she packed the stack of cards away in a box. "This mission is top-secret- it's to keep all our operatives safe, as well as the ones we're trying to save. The name- and face- of Jason Grace- and his powers, abilities, charisma- whatever- all other aspects of his character, are more well-known than you might think."
Jason shifted uneasily at the thought. It was enough to be a praetor and a Hero of Olympus. He wondered what it might be like to be famous, like Piper's dad, and he had to admit, the thought didn't make him feel easy.
"The In-Between is where we go regularly to interact with others, and to scout for ways to hunt down our enemies or to save others. It's like the Melting Pot of cosmologies, cultures, civilisations, universes and different dimensions as well as a Crossroads, hence its other name. Neither gods, nor monsters and demons- at least not some parts anyway for them- nor mortals can enter. Only those that walk in between, that cross worlds and trascend boundaries like those half-god and half-mortal," Eleana said softly, looking at Jason in the eye. "And even then, not all can enter. The In-Between is hidden from the sight of gods, mortals and monsters by more than just Mist. It's where their power ends, what makes them immortal and powerful, does not exist there. Therefore they cannot enter, and even if they could, they would be powerless.
"But like criminal underworlds, as the mortals refer to them as, there are places which are seedy and dangerous, like underground nightclubs and brothels." Eleana's smirk returned. "There are people there that do not wish to be found. Some just wish to be left alone, others also work behind the scenes to save people, like us, without appearing, others are of a more criminal bent, and there are places where supernatural beings can meet up and engage in their most depraved desires and form power bases like the Italian Mafia or the Japanese Yakuza, or the Columbian drug cartels. The In-Between holds places with information and safe houses that are crucial for survival- forbidden knowledge that those in power may feel paranoid about-" she scoffed. "And of course, in some places there are those who hold more power than others. Which is why we stick together. It might seem dangerous and unpredictable, but it kept us alive when we were being hunted by the ones who captured and enslaved us." Her eyes turned haunted.
Jason spoke quietly. "You were captured too?"
"We were all captured," Eleana replied. "Most of us anyway." She gave a bitter smile.
"Tread lightly and don't make stupid mistakes, especially reckless decisions based on you trying to help or save anyone- or simply by being brave. There are those who would happily sell a hero, a particularly famous hero, associated with a particularly famous pantheon. And they would sell you to the wrong enemies. There are those that would kill or torture you on sight, those that would try to ensnare you and trap you, or steal from you. For goodness' sake, you can't even lose anything, because you're not likely to get it back, and whatever it is will be used against you by your enemies. So don't even drop a pin."
Jason held his hands up in the air. "I won't do anything, or lose anything, I give you my word- I promise." He insisted. Why was it these people wouldn't believe him? What- oh.
"You'd better not," Mizuki warned him dangerously. "We're all responsible for your safety, and you're also responsible for ours. So if you do something, it will likely compromise us, and we'll be dead- and it's your fault." She said.
"Jason," Jason nearly jumped when Drypêtis reminded him that she was still there. "In the In-Between, especially in its most dangerous parts, if you go in too deep, there's always a high chance that you will never resurface. Ever. Not even our most stellar trackers and seers will be able to find and save you from a horrible fate, worse than death. Or to be lost in between worlds... Forever. Who knows where your soul will end up if you die." She warned him.
"Great," Jason said. "Thanks for the warning." But he was undeterred. He looked at Alex. "You said this was a way to help Pi- my friends."
"In both camps and the city, yes, there could be one. You just have to be extra careful, and pay attention." Alex looked hard at him. He stepped forwards and fixed Jason's jacket. "Stick with the others, always stay in the middle of the group. And don't say a single word. I'm starting to sound like someone's mother." He grimaced.
The girls smirked. "Somebody's mother doesn't send out her kids to a supernatural underworld," Eleana teased.
"Well get going. And remember, if you forget any of the instructions, I can't save you twice." With that he turned away.
Jason's shoulders sagged. Here, he'd been hoping to find a way to save Piper and his friends. He couldn't help it, he admitted to himself. He still loved her.
He wondered if the Fates were playing games. The thought of the three old grannies with the clubs and the knitting needles made him shiver.
Aglaia, the girl who had gone missing, presumably kidnapped, was an outstandingly good-looking girl, Tony Stark reflected. And she had gone missing the night she went to his party.
It made him uneasy. All of it. He didn't know how or why, but he thought this was all tied to New York. Whatever happened to her, he doubted it was something normal. You don't leave the Avengers and get mugged, that just didn't happen in this crappy world.
He stayed awake all night. Tony knew there would be no sleep for him tonight.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. "You still up?" Pepper asked wearily.
Tony made a non-commital grunt. Pepper frowned as she saw the picture on the screen. "That's the girl who went missing- not a stripper, I promise you." Tony assured her quickly. "Though she does look like a model- better, actually." He frowned.
Pepper sighed. "Maybe that's why she went missing."
"Nah, I don't think so," Tony stated. "Nothing happens at random in this crapsack world. If one of my guests goes missing after my party, then she's bound to be in a bad, or possibly just weird situation." He said brutally, typing away. "Maybe even both."
Pepper shook her head. "How old is she? Does she have parents?" The girl looked relatively young.
"Yup, she has parents, and at least two older brothers," Tony stated, not taking his eyes off the screen. "And she was last seen... Here." The screen showed a park- from CCTV footage.
Pepper squinted. "Is that Central Park?"
Tony didn't answer. "There." He pointed to the screen. It was Aglaia. Suddenly, a black blur emerged out of nowhere. Pepper stared. "Is that a dog?"
"Yeah, Godzilla's," Tony answered. A blur of silver, and a group of people were seen. "It's still blurry," he cursed. "But giant dogs? Weird, but after aliens, maybe, just maybe a giant mutt might look like a nice pet."
Pepper's gaze shifted and fell on a photo on Tony's desk. She picked it up. It showed a guy of Chinese descent, with a roundish-face.
"That's Frank Zhang." Tony answered her unspoken question. "His mom was a soldier in the Canadian army, got targeted and killed in Afghanistan- by the same guys that took me." He stopped typing and his eyes met Pepper's as she drew in a breath.
"Oh my gosh," she stammered. "Are you serious?"
"Am I? Do I always joke in a serious situation- don't answer that," he brushed the remark hastily before it even came out. "The point is, the same guys that targeted me, targeted Emily Zhang, a single mother with no apparent father to name as her son's. After that, kid disappears, ends up in San Francisco with nothing but a backpack, and not long after that, the house blows up, with the grandmother inside." Pepper covered her mouth with her hand.
"Yeah. Residents were getting really worried. The house looked like it was surrounded by gangs of monsters, for some reason."
"You mean the monsters we've been seeing on TV?" Pepper asked incredulously. "The ones that have been targeting runaway kids and kids with single parents?" She frowned. There was something incredible about that sentence. If someone had said something like that to her, years back, she would have laughed. Now, it just showed how Tony was right: it was a crappy world.
"Mm-hm." Tony said as he started typing again. "For some reason Aglaia doesn't fit into any of these descriptions. She's got two parents, two happily-married parents, two older brothers, and an apparently happy childhood." Pictures of a cute, beautiful little girl, wearing a swimsuit with ruffles and playing with dolphins were seen. Pepper's heart involuntarily ached.
"I can't imagine what her parents are going through," she said quietly. She frowned. "How'd she-" but before she could ask how Aglaia ended up at the party anyway, something beeped.
"Sir," JARVIS' automated voice spoke. "We have some new information, regarding Frank Zhang."
Rachel's eyes were squeezed shut. "Here it comes." Kayla said hesitantly as she held some poppies in her hands.
I'm going to regret this, she thought ruefully as she took the earthenware cup from Kayla's hands. The Herophile Sibyl had been steeping the poppies in a cauldron- like a witch- to induce opium. She felt like a hippie.
No, it wasn't a good thing. Not this time. Rachel took a deep breath and swallowed.
Aaron and the Sibyl did the same.
Instantly, she felt warm, very warm. Warm and extremely comfortable. She no longer cared about the world, she no longer cared for monsters, she no longer feared for her life, or her friends'. Every colour in her vision seemed to blur and dance.
Aglaia stepped back and gazed at the ground.
She should have felt shock.
She should have felt disturbed.
She should have felt frightened.
But she didn't. Instead, all she felt was a strange sense of calm, and acceptance that swept over her, looking at the monster remnants disintegrating with the wind, a sense of purpose.
That, weirdly, was what frightened her.
But if she felt scared in any way, in shock and horrified at what she had done, it was no longer there. For the first time, those two weapons fit beautifully and perfectly in her hands, the twin blades, and she felt comfortable holding them, like they were extensions of her limbs, or she was finally wearing clothes, whereas before she had been naked (weird and disturbing, she knew).
It explained absolutely NOTHING towards her current situation. Learning to fight like that... Where and when the hell did she ever learn to fight?!
The sound of horse hooves appeared next to her. Chiron was gazing at her, and the display of blowing monster dust with a concerned look in his brown eyes.
"I think," he said. "That the Hecate Cabin and the others are now repairing the wards. We may discuss this after we have treated the wounded and buried the dead.
Numbly, Aglaia nodded. She felt like she was sleepwalking in a dream. None of it seemed to be real. Dimly, she registered that people were staring at her, but she paid them no attention. None of it seemed real. She didn't belong. She never belonged at this camp to begin with, and it struck her that she was an outsider here.
But then again, hadn't she always?
What the heck was she?
Laia grapsed the hilts of the weapons tighter, breathing deeply. She knew the other campers wouldn't be comfortable with her hanging around. Nevertheless, she decided to clean up.
At that thought, the weapons in her hand started shrinking. Aglaia turned to stare at them, watching them as they shrunk back into charms, and disappeared into nothing, reappearing on the bracelet on her left wrist.
"Laia?" Piper asked hoarsely. She turned to stare at Piper.
"Piper." She blinked as if she was half-asleep. She shook her head slowly, trying to get rid of the muddied haze in her mind. It seemed as if she was remembering something but not properly...
What was it?
Besides Piper, Annabeth approached her.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" She asked, just as hoarsely.
Laia blinked and shook her head even more forcefully. "I can't remember." She said numbly. "I can't remember."
I can't remember.
She might have said the last one out loud, or in her head. It was becoming befuddling. It was as if something had awakened inside of her, but didn't properly rouse itself.
Annabeth gripped her by the arm. "Just... Take it easy okay? Stay with me, we'll figure this out."
But will they? Laia herself was bewildered. But she was even more bewildered at how calm she felt.
"I- okay," she said softly. She blinked and her eyes focused on Annabeth again. "Okay."
Annabeth nodded and took a deep breath. "Chiron," she called out.
Chiron came trotting over.
"Aglaia..." That was Piper's voice. It sounded oddly soft. "Where did you get that bracelet?"
Laia shook herself. "At the beach. I found it... It's a weird story."
She told them about the water-woman who may have been a nymph or a mermaid.
"Interesting." Chiron's eyes widened, and his eyebrows had shot up. "And do you have any idea who this nymph or mermaid might be?
Laia shook her head. "No."
"It could be connected," Annabeth breathed. Her grey eyes were oddly bright. "It could be connected to her godly parent."
Piper's eyes tightened. "The gods haven't made contact with us since appearing at the last battle with the giants."
Aglaia shook her head, feeling like she was in some drug-induced haze. "I don't-"
"That's weird alright." Aglaia turned to see Percy Jackson, sword turning into a pen, walking towards them. His face was grim, and his hair was windswept. There were soot and blood stains on his shirt.
"Yeah," Annabeth said slowly. "The last time this happened-" she looked at some guy. "Are you sure she's not from your camp?"
He snorted and shook his head. "Would've seen her if she was. Sorry."
They had quite the audience right now.
"Still, you appeared with no memories, whatsoever," Chiron began slowly. "With a bracelet that was mysteriously given to you... With weapons and you could fight."
Laia frowned. "The bracelet wasn't given to me. Not by the water-woman nymph or anybody. I found it on the beach, after she disappeared."
"Which means she could have given it to you." Annabeth's grey eyes were focused on her.
"But why would she?" Aglaia demanded, frowning. "Who or what am I to her?"
"Laia," Percy said slowly. "You said that the nymph or mermaid gave you instructions to get out of the camp."
"Yeah," Laia was shocked, berating herself for forgetting about that, and finally shaking herself off her stupor. "Yeah, she did. But who is she?"
"And how can we trust her?" Annabeth asked.
Chiron sighed. "You must trust yourselves."
That was a normally-frustrating answer coming from your mystically-wise bearded mentor. Great, just wonderful.
Laia sighed, frustrated. "It's not that simple. Imagine waking up realising that you can do things you couldn't possibly imagine, none of it which makes sense. I've received no weapons training that I can remember, and while people keep telling me that I have amnesia, I can't even remember anything that's evidence of me having amnesia. I didn't just wake up in the middle of nowhere with no clue who I am and how I got there!" She threw her hands up in the air, during her rant. By now, everyone was staring at her, but she couldn't give a damn. "There's no blank space in my memories, no suspicious event until that monster attacked me and Nico arrived, I've never had ADHD or Dyslexia the way you claim demigods have, there's no clue to anything, and suddenly- BOOM! I'm here and none of this makes sense, because I've got two parents, so unless they're lying..."
"I'm guessing you're a legacy," Percy sighed. "A descendant."
"Yeah," Annabeth said thoughtfully. "Maybe."
Chiron frowned. "It's plausible, but even so..." He pursed his lips, frowning. "I am not sure."
"But Chiron?" Piper asked. "What else could she be?"
He shook his head. Just then, someone came running.
"We've got it, we've got it!" Kayla shrieked. "We've got a Prophecy!"
Everyone gasped. The spectators went from being nosy to outright excited, they ran forwards, shoving and jostling to get to the front of wherever they were going as quickly as possible.
Laia was irritated. What now?
There were three people present. One was a tall woman with dark hair, another was a lanky teenage boy with a mop of blond hair and the third was a girl with curly red hair to the point of frizzy and freckles.
Chiron made his way to the front, telling the campers to make way. "You have a prophecy?" He asked as soon as he reached them.
Rachel nodded. She looked at the Herophile Sibyl, and the Sibyl looked at Aaron.
She produced a piece of paper. Frowning, Chiron took it and read it in silence for a while. After that he began to read out loud:
Blinded gods beware the dark,
Callous deeds unchecked still marked
Forgotten children full of rage,
The Survivors' war yet to be engaged.
Daughter of island and sea
Sail to find haven and home for those that seek,
An era ends when both camps burn,
But true home is found when trust is earned
Together united, the Forgotten and Favoured,
Refuge and safety within a world disturbed.
When he finished silence reigned over the entire camp.
A voice broke it. "What does that even mean?" That was Connor Stoll.
Travis scowled. "That the gods are blind." Thunder and lightning. Nobody cared even if they did get hit.
"Callous deeds?" That was Katie Gardner. She rubbed her head, frowning. "What have they done this time?"
Everyone looked at each other.
Percy interrupted: "How about the time they completely ignored us just before the Giant War, cut themselves off, while Jason and I got our memories erased, kidnapped and switched? Or the time someone blamed Apollo for everything, even though he wasn't the only one responsible for the mess, and kicked him out of Olympus without his powers, so he could face a trio of undead Roman emperors who've been behind everything from the Titan War to the Giant one, as a mortal on his own. Or the time when Jason tried to help-" his voice grew in rage. "Because nobody else could and Apollo couldn't do it without his powers...And he was killed for it." Everyone flinched or winced. Piper looked like she was holding a stab wound. She still loved him. "Or the time when Nero's colossus attacked Camp Half-Blood and Caligula attacked New Rome, and none of them, except for Apollo in the first case, even bothered to care or take notice. Or when Meg was left with Nero as a kid, or the time when I was framed for stealing a lightning bolt when I was twelve, because of my then-unknown father, and my mom got taken and I was forced to stop a group of three-thousand-year-old immortals from annihilating each other and the whole world. Or the time when Nico's mom was killed because him and his sister were potential candidates for the first Great Prophecy during World War Two." Aglaia was alarmed, she didn't know about that. "I think the answer to that is, what haven't they done?"
Well, nobody could argue with that.
Percy kicked a stone with his foot. Normally calm in the face of danger, he looked angry. Everyone fell silent as they absorbed all this.
Chiron placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "I cannot dispute with those facts," he said calmly. "Not even the wisest nor the most foolish can. But if the Ancient Laws-"
Piper interrupted. "Was it the Ancient Laws that kicked Apollo out without his powers and told him to take on the Triumvirate alone? Was it that that told Jason to help? Was it the Ancient Laws that overlooked the Triumvirate and the rise of the Giants and Kronos in the first place? Was it Ancient Laws that told them to kill kids or their parents just to remove a potential threat?" Her voice grew in silent rage. "Was it?"
She was shaking, trembling with rage. Aglaia could have sworn she saw her eyes fill with tears, but she refused to let them fall. Laia admired her strength.
Chiron winced. "Zeus gave his reasons as did the Fates, as to why they could not interfere like Hera did-"
"Bulls***," Percy snapped. Everyone started. They can't have been used to him using swearwords, Laia thought. "A convenient, last-minute excuse. If he truly believed that to act that way would really start the war against Gaea, then why try to kill Nico, Bianca and me when we were kids? We might not have turned out to be his enemies, but the first Oracle was cursed because of Hades reacting that way, and May Castellan, Luke's mom went mad, going on about her son's fate- which scared and angered him enough to turn against Olympus. So back then that Zeus didn't realise that the future would play out because he tried to prevent it, because he decided on one course of action? And suddenly he knows?!"
The silence around the camp were broken with murmurs and whispers. Most people didn't know what happened with Nico and Bianca and their mother, or Luke and his mother, or how the Oracle of Delphi's last host ended up as a corpse, but it made a lot of sense.
Percy wasn't stupid.
"Then again," he said through gritted teeth. "Whatever they did, it's up to us to clean up their mess and play like moving targets."
There was a boil of anger surrounding the camp. Other campers shifted, flicking their eyes nervously as if waiting to see if the gods would smite them.
Percy too was shaking, shaking in anger, guilt, and grief. "Don't kid us, he knew- they all knew. If they hadn't been blind, like the prophecy says, no one would have died today. Or yesterday. Or the day before!"
He paused, his emerald eyes flashing.
"The only reason why I didn't join Luke in the first Titan War was because if I did, everyone else would pay for it. Western Civilisation might be the gods' doing, but this world is all we've got, and it's all the mortals have got, and if I had made that choice to destroy the world when I was sixteen, there would be nothing left on this earth. Not New York, Not the West, not the mortals who would have been even less to the Titans than they are to the gods. It would have literally been the end of the world, and none of them would have stood a chance. I did this for them. And for the ones that wanted to live."
He was glaring at everybody as if daring them to defy or challenge him.
His sea-green eyes, strangely familiar, burned at them, churning, Aglaia realised, like the stormy sea in a rage.
"Looks like they aren't that different from the myths then," she muttered. "What do the other lines mean? 'Forgotten children full or rage?' Who're they? And what's the Survivors' War?"
Something tugged at her in her subconscious, as if screaming at her that she should know or at least remember this.
Everyone shrugged. "Who survived what?" Clarisse la Rue came up, frowning. Her armour was dangling, shoulder strap torn on one side. She removed her helmet but still carried her spear.
Percy inhaled sharply. He turned to Lexie. "You said your friend grew up in the wild."
Lexie looked startled and beside her, Lou Ellen stared at her incredulously. "She survived on her own."
"It says Survivors', as in plural." Aglaia mused. "And I made it to this age, didn't I? Before coming to camp? Well, what if I'm not the only one? What if there are others out there?"
"Others outside of America," Lexie snorted. "I came to camp pretty late too. Grew up in the streets for a while, running from foster homes, from my mafia-boss stepdad." Some people winced. "It wasn't easy being targeted by mortals or monsters. But I survived. So yeah, it's a possibility. Maybe it means you'll have to survive those too?"
Annabeth frowned. "Lexie, most of us have survived wars and monsters as well as nationwide manhunts for some cases." Aglaia could have sworn that her eyes flicked to Percy. "That's not very specific."
Lexie just shrugged. "'Forgotten,' that word came twice," Piper wondered. "The Forgotten and the Favoured? Who are they?"
"Maybe the kids that have been pin-pointed as favourites by their parents and helped, as well as those that they completely forgot about," Lou Ellen shrugged.
"Well, whoever they are, we'll all have to work together," Annabeth said, resolute.
"Another war," Will Solace said wearily as he appeared, wiping off sweat with his arm. His hands were covered in latex gloves and blood. Everyone groaned, or looked absolutely hopeless. "We can't afford that. Not now. We're already losing as it is."
"Not yet," Aglaia took a deep breath. "Daughter of island and sea..."
Annabeth frowned. "What about those lines."
"So someone- a female- would have to sail somewhere and find this... Haven or sanctuary. This refuge that the prophecy talks about, in the middle of the sea."
"Like an island," Connor Stoll said wonderingly. "An island?" Austin asked, incredulously.
"You're saying there's an island somewhere for us to go to? Someplace safe?! An island?" People were also voicing their inredulity, their excitement, their disbelief. And- did they dare feel it? Hope.
For the first time in months, they felt hope.
"In the middle of the sea." Percy looked stunned. "Which sea? Not the Sea of Monsters again."
He, Annabeth and- surprisingly- Clarisse- groaned.
"I don't think so." Laia breathed. Her astonishing green eyes were wide. Annabeth frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Daughter of island and sea..." She mused. "I was born and grew up in Crete. I was sailing before I even went to the mainland. I was swimming in the Mediterranean before I could even walk. Some ancient, pre-Hellenistic Minoan tombs were found... And some people, including my family, shared their DNA."
Everyone stared. "You're crazy," Clarisse said flatly. "There's no way a newbie like you-"
"Why not? However I learnt it, when I learnt it and who I learnt it from, I know how to defend myself," Aglaia argued. "And kill monsters. And yes, I've sailed across the Mediterranean, the Aegean, the Ionian and other seas. Heck, I even went along the freaking Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. And what if this is a sign," she spun towards Chiron. "My so-called amnesia, the bracelet appearing before me- that woman- that nymph- telling me of a hidden passageway in the water? Me appearing at random at Nico's path? You weren't expecting to find me there, were you?" She asked, turning suddenly towards Nico- who had just arrived- with a fierce look.
"No," Nico said. "I wasn't."
"And if the old myths are real, then nothing's a coincidence," she stated, pointing out that fact. "Besides, if the prophecy is real- and after what I've seen, it probably is, then we don't have much time left."
Everyone paused. "'An era ends when both camps shall burn,'" Will Solace recited. "Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter will be destroyed for good. If this is what the Fates are telling us-" his normally calm and steady voice choked.
Everyone looked aghast, grief-stricken, or to shocked to comprehend. Someone gave out a strangled sob. It was terrible: too horrific to contemplate.
Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter and New Rome had been home and safe haven for demigods since ancient times. And now the prophecy was telling them they were going to be destroyed.
Annabeth turned to Chiron, grey eyes burning with tears. "She's right. We have no other choice. She should go."
Chiron looked saddened. "Annabeth-"
"We have no other choice."
"I'll go," Percy spoke up. His green eyes flashed with pain, and Laia wasn't sure if those were tears. "I'll go with her."
Everyone broke out into a chorus of protests.
"No, you can't go," Laia said finally. "They need you. You're their leader, their greatest hero. In the end, you've all they've got." She looked at the other commandoes. "All of you." She looked at Lexie. "Find these survivors, whoever they are- the ones that have made it until they're past the usual age kids get to the camps, without dying. I think they're the Forgotten. Team up with them. Convince them to work together. You'll have to if you want to survive."
Lexie looked startled. "Laia- Aglaia," Laia started when Lou Ellen addressed her for the first time. "You- you think it's wise? To sail to who-knows-where when-"
"Well, tell me if you have a better idea," she said dangerously, turning towards her. Aglaia looked around the crowd. "Anyone?!" She demanded.
Several layers of silence.
Aglaia let out a breath and stalked off.
"Wait," she felt herself stiffen when someone grabbed her by the upper arm.
Instinct kicked in. She spun around, grabbed the arm, ready to bring this attacker down to his knees, when she realised it wasn't an attacker at all but Percy.
Laia blinked. She withdrew her hand. "Sorry." She said.
Percy held out his hand. "'S'all cool," he reassured her. He gave out a sigh. "I know you've probably fought and fought well, even if you can't remember it, and you're great at that and at sailing, but where you're going, you're going to need help." He took a deep breath and looked around.
"You can move to my cabin, there are others there as well. Annabeth was always good at strategy and I don't think she's going to disagree with this."
A sense of trepidation and excitement swept through her. "What are you going to do?"
"Prepare you for what you're going to find at sea." Was all he said, his emerald eyes glinting. "The monster kind."