I was looking to return to this story, but reading some of the old chapters I really don't like how I wrote some of them. I fixed this one and am re-uploading it. I'll be doing the same with some of the other ones, especially the first ones. I also wanna say that I've finished chapter 13 already, but i'm going to hold off on posting until the rest of the chapters are fixed. stay posted!

December 2005, four years later

Leila

She slowly opened her eyes, noticing a dull throbbing pain in the back of her head. She looked around, disoriented.

'Why is the world upside down?' She asked herself.

She realised she was hanging upside down, and she remembered. Jason was hanging limply next to her, with a huge bruise on his face. Trying not to make a sound, she turned her head to look at their attackers. About twenty metres away from the tree they were hanging from were three downright ugly humanoid beings. They were big, maybe six metres tall, with huge meaty hands and hairy feet. Covered in thick green skin, Jason had called them mountain ogres. All Leila knew is that they were nasty. They had huge mouths full of crooked teeth and massive bulging eyes.

'I'm telling ya, there is a much better way!' Exclaimed one of the ogres, who had a missing eye. 'Listen to me, I'm the best cook out of us.'

'How does boiling it before add anything to the flavour, meathead?' Responded another, this one with a large bald head full of tattoos.

'Makes the meat more tender, it does. If you ain't got a goddamn clue how to cook just get out of my way!' Growled One-eye.

Tattoo Head snorted. 'If you're such a great chef, why does every meal taste the same?'

One-eye reared up, staring Tatoo Head in the eye. 'Ya haven't got the balls to say that to me face, y-'

Their argument was cut off by the third ogre, who whirled around and whacked the other two in the head with what looked to be an enormous metal spoon. It bounced off their skulls, the sound resonating all around the forest.

'Shut up, both of ye!' This one was slightly taller, and spoke in a deep gravelly voice. He had long dreadlocks that fell all the way down his bare back. 'Are we's gon stay up all night arguing on how to eat' em? You can dismember and boil the nasty buggers. Now, I hear one more word about this, I'll ram this spoon where the sun don't shine. Understood?'

Both of the smaller ogres nodded apologetically, and went off to start a fire below a human-sized cooking pot. Leila swallowed and looked around desperately for something that could help them. Jason was out so lightning was out of the question. Her spear was laying on the ground some distance away, so that wasn't any use. She supposed Jason had his coin in his pocket, but he wasn't in the state for using it.

'I am really gonna get eaten but a bunch of ugly ogres?' She asked herself. 'Talk about a heroic way to die.'

Suddenly, next to her Jason let out a small moan as he woke up. The trio by the fire all looked at them, and Leila went limp, hoping they wouldn't notice. She didn't hear any of them move, but then they started to whisper.

'That was them, weren't it?'

'Think so. Lil moan of pain worthy of that weak-ass demigod.'

One of them chuckled, and then Leila heard them start walking towards Jason and her.

'Wakey wakey, demigod scum! We're gonna rip your arms off and eat you!' Said the approaching ogre in a high-pitched, sing-song voice.

Jason was awake by now, and was looking around wide-eyed, probably staring to remember the events of their capture a few hours earlier. The singing ogre, who turned out to be the one Leila was now calling One-eye, ripped off the branch they were hanging on, sending them smashing into the ground below. Leila's head was spinning, and she must have been seen double or triple, but she saw One-eye hungrily smiling down at her.

Suddenly, his expression turned serious, and he worriedly looked over his shoulder at the campfire. Both Tatoo Head and Dreadlocks had stood up, looking warily into the trees. Leila could hear it too: a low growl coming from the forest. A shadow flew over the large clearing, and Tatoo Head was thrown into a huge tree. Leila wasn't sure if she was hallucinating, but the enormous ogres were ragdolled by the mysterious being, who jumped around faster than her eye could see. One-eye and Tatoo Head quickly exploded into dust. Dreadlocks looked around, with what Leila could have sworn was a terrified look on his face.

'No, please!' He yelled. 'I'll go back up to the mountains, just-'

His pleas were cut off as his attacker leapt at his head, delivering a killing blow to the neck. Blood spurted, and the ogre started to disintegrate on the ground. In the darkness, Leila strained her eyes to see who their saviour was. He was a hulking shadow, much taller than a human. Her vision started to blur, but as she was passing out, she could have sworn the shadow started to shrink.

—

Leila squinted as she opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light that seemed to be coming from above her. She covered her eyes with a hand and groaned.

'I have to stop waking up like this', she thought.

The last thing she remembered was the forest, the campfire. The three ogres, ready to eat them. Then a darting shadow… She sat up quickly, taking in her surroundings. She was in a small room, with patched plaster walls and bright lighting. She had been laying on a decrepit couch, full with creaking springs and holes. Next to hers was a similar one, and two lawn chairs in the corner. There was a small window in the opposite wall, but the translucent glass made it so she couldn't see anything outside.

'Glad to see you're alive', said a voice to her right.

She whirled around, only to find Jason grinning at her. She hugged him, relaxing slightly but still on edge.

'Where are we?' She asked.

Jason shrugged. 'Don't really know. He told me to watch you while he was gone.'

'He being who?'

The blonde boy smiled knowingly. 'You'll see. I don't wanna spoil the surprise. Anyway, this place is full of stuff. That', Jason pointed to a small white mini fridge in the corner. 'is full of unicorn draught and some purple stuff made into little cubes that heals you really fast. The couches are stuffed underneath full of weapons, and there is a security camera system for the door. There also might be a secret passageway somewhere.'

Leila stood up, legs slightly wobbling from the events of last night. She walked around the room, checking the fridge and the window. She got to the door, which was a thick slab of dark wood with a huge lock. She noticed an inscription in the middle: Tertium

'Third', she said, reading the word out loud.

'Oh yeah', said Jason, a frowning look on his face. 'He didn't tell me what that meant.'

'Again, who?', asked Leila irritably.

Jason smiled. 'Not gonna tell you. I'm sure you'll like the surprise.'

A suspicion started to creep into Leila's mind. The shadow, the growls… It reminded her of someone she knew, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

'Leila', Jason called. 'Catch.'

She turned and caught the object Jason had thrown at her. Her spear felt good in her hands as she twirled it around expertly. It had a long wooden shaft with a lead core running down the middle. This made it heavier and more difficult to use, but also more durable and dangerous. The spearhead was imperial gold, gleaming sharp and deadly. It had been a gift for bravery, for when she had saved the preator, Maria, from getting killed by a horde of hellhounds. It had been laden with magic by Apollo's children at camp, making it effectively unbreakable. She looked over and saw Jason slip his gold coin into his pocket, which Leila knew was gift from his patron, Juno.

Suddenly, they heard someone at the door. Leila tensed, but Jason looked perfectly calm as he smiled at her. The door crept open, and her heart skipped a beat. The boy was tall and broad, dressed in a simple black t-shirt and jeans. He had pitch black hair, slightly longer than Jason's, blown to the side like he had come from a walk on the beach. His blue eyes shone as brilliantly as ever, the fiery red in them gleaming intensely.

'Percy!', she squealed, probably sounding like a little girl, but she didn't care. She ran forward and enveloped him in a hug, burying herself into him. He returned the hug, laughing slightly as he did. She noticed his chin resting on the top of her head. After a moment, they separated, and he grinned mischievously.

'Happy to see me?'

Leila laughed and stood back as Percy clapped Jason on the back, who was smiling after seeing their interaction. Percy smiled at her, and to her irritation, she felt her face going red. Stubble had started to grow on his face, and although she had always thought beards were gross, but it made him look more distinguished, older. He suddenly tensed slightly, and she was suddenly very aware of the fact that his arms were still locked around her waist. They rapidly disentangled themselves, with Jason looking on in amusement.

Still smiling, the son of Zeus cleared his throat. 'Right. So, Percy, great to see you, but where are we? What happened to the ogres?'

Percy gestured around. 'One of the many safehouses for demigods around the country. This one is in Old Sacramento. I'd been tracking those ogres the whole day, and then they captured you two. Killed them, and brought you here. You, er, weren't in walking state, so I just kinda carried you on my back.'

Jason grimaced, flashing back to the events of the capture. 'Yeah. Thanks for that.'

They sat down on the couches, Percy and Leila on one and Jason on the other. Leila looked at him.

'How did you know this place was here?' She asked.

Percy scratched his neck. 'Working for the gods has certain… privileges. I can use these whenever I need to. They're stocked with supplies, weapons, anything you might need to survive. Hermes thought of them a few decades back, and they really come in handy for anyone who needs a place to lay low. Anyway, what were you doing so far from camp?'

'We were sent on a quest.' Jason looked alarmed, but if Leila couldn't trust Percy, then she couldn't trust anyone. 'A group of demigods went missing while on a mission in Portland. They were looking for a bunch of imperial gold weapons, but never came back.'

Percy looked thoughtful. 'I've been to Portland a couple of times. Its a relatively peaceful place, not much monster activity. Why would imperial gold weapons be stored there? Its way too far north to serve as an effective base.'

Jason shrugged his shoulders. 'No idea. We were just sent to find them. Although you're right, its pretty-' Jason stopped talking, his mouth hanging half open. 'The prophecy.'

Leila looked puzzled. 'What about it?'

'The second line!' Jason exclaimed. 'I just realised. We were given a prophecy before we left. The second line was 'The shadow will aid them in beating the odds'. You're supposed to come with us!'

Leila's face lit up with realisation. The roman in her bristled at the idea of an unplanned member joining the quest, especially one that had been given to them directly by the praetors. It was an opportunity to show their valor and loyalty, and hiding behind Percy would hardly do them any favours in those two regards. The other side of her thrummed with excitement. Jason was fine, of course, but she always had felt like she had had a special connection with Percy, and had been dying to see him again. This would hardly be ideal circumstances, but it was better than nothing.

'I wouldn't officially be part of the quest,' said Percy, staring right into her eyes. She felt as if he could see straight into her mind, like it was an open book for him to read. 'I'll just be following you very, very closely. No honour lost in that.'

Leila made eye contact with him, and could not help but stare into his eyes. She felt her brain slowly melting into a puddle of goo. She shook herself out of it, frustrated with herself. She hated the impact he was having on her. She could stand fearlessly in the middle of battle in the Field of Mars, but she couldn't hold eye contact with Percy for more than a couple of seconds without blushing.

'Awesome!', said Jason, unaware of Leila's difficulty to respond. 'You still can turn into one big badass wolf, right?'

Percy nodded with a smile. 'The same one.' Percy's expression changed to one of worry. 'You said you got a prophecy before you left?'

Leila nodded, and took a deep breath.

'Two shall go north to the border of the gods

The shadow will aid them in beating the odds

A hellish beast shall give them chase

The fiery axe its charge will brace

If the disgraced one succumbs

Terrible be the fate that will befall Rome's sons'

The words rang loud and clear across the room, and the trio stayed silent for a moment. Percy looked thoughtful as he tried to break down the meaning of the prophecy.

'The first line obviously refers to you two', he said out loud. 'and we've established that i'm the shadow. Any ideas about the rest? Hellish beast doesn't sound nice at all.'

Leila grimaced. 'Yeah, that line worries me a little bit. We have also been looking for any god or goddess with a fiery axe as a symbol, or any mention of it in literature, but nothing so far. We figured that Rome's sons should be referring to the demigods that went up to Portland.'

'And the disgraced one?', asked Percy.

'We don't know that either', responded Jason. 'There were a few ideas flying around, but none really made any sense. I mean, disgraced ones could be effectively referring to any enemy of Rome or the gods.'

'What about old legionnaires? Have you ever had any deserters or traitors?'

Leila shook her head. 'Not in a very long time. Also, the line is If the disgraced one succumbs, which means this person hasn't turned traitor yet.'

Leila racked her brain, trying to think about anyone she knew that could potentially betray the gods or turn on them, but came up with nothing. Sure, there were some questionable characters in the legion, but none that would ever betray Rome. Jason was tapping his foot on the floor, but said nothing.

Percy broke the silence. 'We shouldn't overthink this too much. Trying to outsmart prophecies usually leads to more harm than good. Besides, we need to get moving.'

—

The street was dimly lit, with weeds curling up from cracks in the old pavement. Leila could see her breath rising up in front of her, rising into the cold air of the night. In an effort to stay somewhat warm, she rubbed her hands together and hunched up her shoulders. Her spear, which shrunk into a ring, was tight around her finger. Percy stood beside her, still as a statue. He didn't look tense, but not relaxed either, his eyes scanning the area for any possible threats. He almost didn't look cold at all. Jason was the last to come out of the door, shutting it quietly and joining the pair while breathing on his hands.

Percy breathed out. 'Ok, we're good. Some monsters south of here, but they're still at least a couple of miles away.'

'You can tell? Just like that?'

Leila elbowed Jason slightly. 'Stop drooling.' Percy laughed, and she could have sworn she heard Jason whisper something back at her, but she decided to drop it. 'Now, the quest. How do we get to Portland?'

Jason looked pensive. 'I don't think the station's too far from here. Let's head over there and see if we can catch a ride north.'

Percy nodded. 'Sure. I mean, could probably run faster than the train anyway, but I'm sure it'll be really conformable for you guys.'

Leila rolled her eyes, and Percy laughed slightly at what must've been an exasperated look on her face. In the dark street, his eyes really did stand out, like two massive flashlights in the dark, both imposing and strangely captivating at the same time.

'Well,' said Percy, looking up and down the street. 'I think Jason's right. The station isn't far from here, but i'm not exactly sure where. And it's not like we can call a cab at this time of night.'

Jason frowned. 'This will probably seem like a stupid question, but, why?'

Percy turned his head to smile at the younger boy. 'Well, this place has some of the highest crime rates in the country, so the state put in place some new rules earlier this year. They shut off public transport and restricted parking space after eleven. You know, they figured the less people on the street, the less chance they have of breaking the law, right?'

Jason shrugged. 'I guess. Did it work?'

Percy scrunched up his nose. 'Eh, not really. People can just walk around, it's not that big of a neighbourhood.'

Leila looked around the street, trying to find somewhere to ask for directions, a map, anything. If they just started walking, they would probably eventually find the train station, but it would take much less time if they actually knew where they were going. Also, monsters were still looking for them. Percy said they were okay for the time being, but she had learned that the best way to stay safe outside of camp was to keep moving.

'Look over there.' Jason shook her out of her thoughts. He was pointing to an illuminated store at the far end of the street. It looked pretty big, and Leila was amazed she had missed it. 'That place looks nice enough. Maybe they'll give us some directions.'

Percy looked skeptical. 'Looks almost too nice to me. Too convenient. Most stores don't open until this late.'

Leila looked at the store, and couldn't help but agree with Percy. It had huge floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing you a view into an assortment of different objects, many of them expensive-looking antiques. It was brilliantly lit up, standing out in the sombre street. Leila saw a sign over the door that said: 'Al's Gift Shop'. In a corner of the sign, engraved into the word was a single word: νεκρομάντις. What was that? Greek? As inviting as it looked, she couldn't shake off the feeling of danger when she looked at it. She'd seen enough monsters to know that they liked to hide out in the mortal world as ordinary people.

Jason huffed at her side. 'Guys, come on. Not all of the stores in America are run by monsters, and even if this one was, Percy would have smelt them. Let's just go in and ask, then we can leave.'

Percy still didn't look happy, but relented. 'I don't smell anything. We gotta be careful regardless. Don't touch anything, and don't stray off.'

A toasty heat greeted them, contrasting strongly with the freezing cold street. The strong smell of scented candles hung in the air, and and low ambient music played from a small speaker in the corner. The counter was empty, so Leila walked over to a chair set on a nearby stand. It looked like it was made of mahogany, with intricately carved armrests. It was very wide, wider than any normal person would need.

'That is a chair from the 15th century', said a voice to her right. Leila jumped, whirling around to look at who had snuck up on her. The voice belonged to a woman. She looked around 50, but was still very beautiful, with flowing brown hair and dark eyes. She wore a long green sleeveless dress, but didn't look cold at all. 'It is a very rare specimen, you are welcome to admire it.'

The woman smiled at them, a big warm smile that made Leila feel slightly warmer. She extended her hand, and Leila shook it.

'My name is Aclimede, but most people just call me Al. I own the shop.'

Leila smiled at her, still a bit unsure about the woman. She was nice enough, but something seemed off about her. 'My name is Leila. This is Percy, and Jason.'

The woman's eyes brightened when she heard Jason's name. 'I see. Did you have you eyes on anything you wanted?'

'Actually, we didn't really want to buy anything-' Percy was interrupted by the woman as she held up a hand.

'I assure you mister, there are plenty of things in my shop that will interest you. Follow me, I will show you!'

Leila turned her head and raised an eyebrow at Percy once the woman had started walking. 'She smells fine. Just a little weird', Percy whispered into her ear, the proximity sending goosebumps all the way down her spine. 'Let's just let her show us her shop, then we'll ask.'

He nodded at Jason, and they followed Aclimede into rows of strange objects. Leila saw all types of things, from antique furniture to a huge medieval poleaxe. Aclimede led the way, pointing out objects every once in a while.

'This is a teacup from China, made in the time of the emperors', said Al excitedly. 'Such an amazing era. Oh, the parties we enjoyed. Magnificent!'

Leila was puzzled. The parties we enjoyed? Something was off here. She turned to Percy and Jason, but they had already followed Al deeper into the shop, intently listening to her babbling about samurai helmets. They seemed a bit too transfixed with the strange woman. Leila pulled Jason aside, the blonde looking at him in surprise. His eyes were glazed over, and looked at Leila in surprise.

'What?'

'I think we should get out of here', said Leila worriedly. 'There's something strange about her. We should leave.'

'Is there a problem?' They turned to see Al looking at them, with Percy right behind her. His blue eyes looked somewhat dimmed and unfocused. The woman huffed and strode forward, putting a hand on Jason's shoulder. 'I bet you want to see what's in the back room, don't you?'

Her voice was extremely soft and soothing, and Leila felt it wash over her. Her face muscles relaxed, and her arms slumped to the side. She really wanted to see the back room. She was sure it had some awesome stuff inside. All she had to do was follow Aclimede…

Necromancer. The word just jumped into her mind, seemingly out of nowhere, but she snapped right out of the spell the woman had put on her. Where had she seen that word before? Then she remembered. Vεκρομάντις. The sign on the door. An old myth sprung to her mind, and her mind filled with terror.

'Percy! Jason! Stop walking right now!' They both looked at her with confused expressions. Aclimede, however, now looked supremely annoyed.

'Why?' Percy asked in a slurred voice. 'We were about to see the back room…'

'There is no back room!' Said Leila desperately. 'Percy, listen to me. We need to get out of here, now.'

The son of Lupa shook his head, apparently disoriented. Jason just looked at her in confusion, then turned to a shelf, suddenly enraptured in a rusty helmet. Al stepped forward, her eyes boring a hole through her chest, and gave a small chuckle.

'A remarkable thing, how a simple spell and sweet words can be enough to bend even the strongest of mortal minds. But not yours, daughter of Ceres.' The sudden spite in her voice made Leila take a few cautious steps back. 'Harvest-spawn. I always hated you lot the most. All you do is take, and give nothing back. A mirror image of your mother. She hides under the guise of a sweet, kind woman of the earth, one who blesses mortals with the endless gifts of crops. Yet few see the cruel, ruthless serpent within.'

Leila looked anxiously at Jason and Percy, but they were nowhere to be seen. Aclimede kept walking towards her, tall and imposing. Leila slipped off her ring and held it tightly in her hand, but decided to keep Al talking.

'Aclimede. You're the mother of Jason. The original Jason.'

The older woman smiled, but all warmth now gone from her face. 'Very good. I was the wife of Aeson, the mighty king of Iolcus. He was a great man. It was a demigod that ended his reign.' She glowered at Leila, lowering her voice slightly. 'Do you know what happened?'

Her hands had started to glow, and Leila was prepared to slash out with her spear, but she needed to find Percy and Jason first. Whatever spell she had put on them, if Leila could force Al to focus on her, maybe it could weaken enough for them to snap out of it. So she shook her head.

'Of course not.' Al snarled. 'They only tell you about the heroics of the demigods. They are always seen as righteous saviours. Well allow me to enlighten you. My husband had a half-brother, Pelias. He was a son of Poseidon, and was only succeeded in arrogance by his divine father. It was him who took advantage of my husband, and usurped him. I watched, young one, helpless, as that man took my husband's children in his hands and slit their throats, one by one. Jason had been sent to Chiron, so he lived, but that savage would have killed him as well.'

Al was on a roll, hate-filled words flowing out of her, and Leila could see her hands glowing more brightly. It worried her, but as long as she was furious at her, it meant she would loosen her hold on Percy and Jason.

'They came in the night, like the cowards they were. They had bought most of the guards off, and the ones that were loyal enough to resist were killed, he forced Aeson and I to hang ourselves. On that day, I learned there is only one way to deal with vermin like you, and it is swift and ruthless.'

Leila quickly spoke up, wanting to keep her talking. 'Wait up. Hanging usually ends in death.'

The sorceress smirked. 'It does.'

'How are you still alive then?'

Al smiled. 'You already know. You saw the sign on the door. Not even Hades himself could keep me in his reign. It took me an eternity to leave that hellhole, and as I cannot take revenge on the gods themselves for the fate that was given to me, their children will have to do. You will feel my strength firsthand!'

She moved quick, much quicker than Leila thought she would. Her hands steamed, and she shot a streak of black energy at her head, which she was able to duck at the last second. As she did, she willed her spear to extend in her hand. She used her momentum to spin, and slashed out towards the mage. The spearhead bit into her wrist, taking her hand clean off. Al let loose a horrific scream as a torrent of blood poured from her arm.

Leila quickly retreated, pulling objects into the aisle to try and slow down what down now be an extremely pissed off witch. She heard Al yell in pain and rage behind her, and picked up the pace, trying to remember the way to the exit. Suddenly, the aisle turned right and then came to a dead end, a brick wall blocking her way. She spun around, but Al had already caught up to her, her hand clutched to her chest.

'I am going to-'

Before she could finish her threat, the side of the aisle exploded. A massive black wolf erupted from the mass of antique objects, smashing the woman into the side of the shelves. Before she could even react, he was on her, clamping his jaws around her waist and shaking her around violently before throwing her into the wall beside Leila, all in the space of a couple of seconds. Al was in a bad state, one of her legs bent at an awkward angle, and blood mattered her torn clothes. Leila stared at Percy, who now towered over her. He was much bigger now, maybe three metres tall, with pure white canines as long as Leila's forearms. Al had been about to kill her, but it still chilled her to see her friend act with such little constraint.

'That won't put her down forever. And we can't kill her.'

Leila was shook out of her shock. His mouth had barely moved, yet she heard his voice clearly, deep and rumbling. His human voice was warm, and often friendly, but this one commanded respect. It thrummed with power, a very definite, dangerous edge to it. She must have been staring, because Percy lowered his head to her level and spoke quietly.

'Leila?' He turned his head slightly sideways, his eyes locked onto hers. 'We have to go. Jason's outside.'

Leila nodded, and they ran towards the exit. Jason was already waiting for them, and the trio bolted down the street, trying to put as much distance between them and that shop as they possibly could. They kept going until her lungs burned, and only then did they stop. Jason and her were both wheezing, while Percy stood tall, sniffing the air intently. Leila had her hands on her knees, taking in air with big laboured breaths. Suddenly, Percy was at her side, and her put a hand on her shoulder. In human form, he was still taller than her, but not as imposing as he had been. They locked eyes, and she felt her knees waver for a moment. In the dark, his eyes were an even brighter blue, like tow bright flashlights staring at her with concern.

'Hey.' His voice was low, filled with worry. 'Are you okay?'

Leila nodded, giving him a small smile of reassurance.

'I couldn't let her hurt you.'

She nodded again, more firmly this time. 'Percy, I know. I'm ok.'

He breathed out, then let go of her shoulder and turned around to check on Jason. Suddenly, he jerked his head to the side, sniffing the air intently. His eyes narrowed for a moment, then widened in surprise.

'Shit.'

'What is it?' asked Jason as he looked out into the dark street they had come from.

Percy turned to them. 'I just caught the scent of a monster. A huge one, nothing like I've ever felt before.' He turned to them. 'It came from Al's shop.'

Leila shot up. 'How far-'

The ground rumbled, and a deafening bellow filled Leila's ears, accompanied by a massive crashing sound, and what seemed like the crumbling of bricks.

'Not far at all. RUN!'

So, just if you guys aren't aware, Aclimede was the actual mother of Jason, and there were some mentions of her using necromancy in the limited information that was available. I took the liberty of expanding her power, and she can essentially raise stuff from the dead, as you will see in Ch 13 ;)