Well, hello, hello. I'm back. It's been a minute but I'm here to deliver the next chapter of my story.

Hope you're enjoying the journey so far!

But without further ado...

CHAPTER 17: POOR INTRODUCTION

"I'm no one, really," he replied as he rubbed his eyes. "Right now, I'm here to help."

I looked to my companions for any hints as to who this person was and to why he garnered such a reaction but they weren't being very helpful. I noticed the boy's exhaustion, like he was more tired than we were and he only just arrived.

Something about shadow travel?

The boy scanned the four of us. "It should be safe for now. Give yourselves a few minutes. Gods know I need a couple."

The four of us would be fools to deny that as we all took a few moments to collect ourselves. Emile had rolled up his leather bundle, containing all his equipment, and stuffed it back into his large backpack whilst I had dismissed my shield. Flip and Val on the other hand seemed to be silently just watching the newcomer. I wasn't able to tell whether they were in awe or just curious. I did a few paces around the warehouse, staring at all the laid out pieces of mannequin we spent a solid 30 minutes destroying.

Sure as hell didn't feel like 30 minutes.

"Time passes when you are having fun," Dienekes contributed to the thought.

"Wouldn't exactly call it fun, D."

"I would," the old spartan concluded as the stone pendant around my neck hummed. An expected response, I must say.

Though thinking about it, I do feel the most focused in battle. Usually my brain likes to go everywhere and it's always hard for me to just not think about anything but the closest I've ever been is during a fight, where I only ever really need to think about one thing. It's a bit of stress relief, even.

I knelt down as I began to take stock, making sure everything in my rucksack was secure. I counted myself lucky that I didn't bring too much, otherwise it would have weighed me down during our little scraps. Everything seemed to be in order. I absentmindedly reached for the tactical knife Sherman gave me only to find that it was missing. I had forgotten that I threw it at a mannequin earlier, potentially saving the life of Emile. The moment I stood up to go look for it, the man himself stood right in front of me; his large frame holding the tactical knife by the blade with its hilt directed towards me.

"You dropped this," he said, with a tone I couldn't quite discern whether it was condescending.

A little guarded, I grabbed the hilt of the knife. "Thanks."

However, just before he let go, he gave the slightest nod I had ever seen. I quickly placed the knife back into its rightful place behind my back, just above the belt of my cargo pants.

"Take better care of your shit," he commented, as he walked back to join the rest of the group.

…oh good, for a second there I thought he was actually being nice.

I followed shortly behind, joining the group discussion as we brought each other up to speed.

"Don't mean to sound like a broken record but, what now?" I asked.

"Well, our suspicions about Melinoe's involvement have been confirmed." The baggy-eyed boy stroked his chin. "Though whether that means she's working directly with these demigods, I'm not entirely sure."

"Wouldn't it be weird if she's just coincidentally acting on her own?" Val questioned.

"You could apply the same reasoning as to why a god would team up with a random batch of demigods with a grudge…" Flip added.

"It's hard to understand the motive of a god," the boy said blankly. "Just know that they've got one and so it's our problem."

It was a little unsettling, the idea of a god hot on our tails, but I wasn't deterred. God or not, we're going to find Birch. I couldn't tell if he could read my mind, but the boy gave me some subtle look that I couldn't figure out.

"Thankfully, I have some idea of where to start," the boy continued. "I know a place, very under the radar. Any happenings outside of your standard olympian jurisdiction generally go through there."

"What is it?" Emile asked before I could.

"It's an underground establishment. From what I've heard, it's like a pub of some sorts. It's called The Silk Road, and the entrance is here in Chinatown. Clever when you think about it."

"The Silk Road?" Flip perks up.

"You've heard of it too?" the boy asked.

"I didn't think it was real," Flip replied. "I mean, it's apparently meant to be this neutral meeting place, a center for demigods or people 'like' us."

The idea perplexed me. "Like, another Camp Half-Blood?"

"No… different," Flip answered.

Emile seemed just as confused as I was. "But if a place like that ever existed. Monsters' would've picked that place apart like vultures."

"Exactly. That's why I didn't think it was real." Flip looked at the boy. "And you're saying you've been there?"

"Not been there. Just know it exists," he corrected. "Turns out, the world is bigger than you think if you stay away from Camp long enough. Which is kind of ironic because you'd assume it's big enough… anyways…" his words trailed off.

Emile crossed his arms. "So we find this 'Silk Road' and that'll lead us to Birch?"

"It's your best bet," the boy answered. "Not going to be simple of course."

"Never is…" Val sighed.

The boy acknowledged her silently. "It's 'under the radar' for a reason. Not anyone is just meant to find it. Chinatown was the most I was able to do but that still leaves a lot of doors. I've got my eye on one spot, so we're just going to have to go from there."

I have to admit, it wasn't a lot but it's definitely a starting point to plant our feet. Sadly, this wasn't a video game where you are explicitly guided and led to where you need to go. All we can do in this situation is just to keep marching forward.

Whatever it takes…

"That's it?" Flip sounded a little bothered.

"Yep," The boy replied with a straight face.

"I thought you'd have a plan more… detailed."

"Nope."

I admired the honesty.

"Well, at least it'll be fun," Val shrugged.

The boy told us that he had a place where we could rest for the night as we prepared for our next move, which the four of us were relieved to hear. I don't care how physically 'enhanced' we are with the blood of gods, but a near hour long drive followed by a fight against overwhelming odds with zero breaks drains the energy right out of you. The boy took the lead, hands stuffed into the pockets of his trench coat. Whilst the rest of us had packs of some sort, he had nothing on him other than the sword on his hip. That sword was something special too. It definitely wasn't celestial bronze and I had never seen a blade as dark as his. He looked much younger than I did and still gave me the impression he's seen enough of what the world has to offer. A recurring trend apparently. This boy was truly a mystery. As he reached for the door that led back into the alleyway, I noticed his ring; a silver skull wrapped around one of his fingers. Just before he turned the handle he stopped, causing the rest of us to freeze as well.

He spoke. "Arthur, Val, Flip and Emile."

The way he said our names sounded like he was reciting a list.

"I'm Nico," he said without even turning around. "Apologies for the poor introduction."

The metal door opened with a loud creak as we made our way back into the live streets of Chinatown.

Crazy to think that all these people walking by, going about their night have absolutely no idea what just happened a dozen or so feet from them. Gods, monsters, and yet nobody has a damn clue. I guess I used to be one of those people. Makes me kind of miss it.

When asked where we were going, Nico said he was taking us to some hotel. He admitted it wasn't the greatest but it had soft beds and a working bathroom. I'll take anything I suppose. On a side note, I asked around with the others to get a little more information on this 'Nico', only to learn that he was in fact a son of Hades, the literal god of the Underworld. That was a little bit of a 'woah' moment, for me.

As we continued walking, I thought as soon as we left the warehouse I'd feel safe enough to let my guard down for a moment but my mind was still on high alert. There was just something pulling at my nerves. It could have been the pendant or it could have just been me. I looked to the others to see if they were feeling the same but I wasn't really able to tell. Emile proceeded with his music whilst Flip and Val did their best to strike up a conversation with Nico. Again, that same feeling of being watched crept up on me. These crowded streets weren't a big help either. Mom always taught me to be aware of my surroundings, but it was like my ADHD was clashing with my senses.

"I feel it too, Arthur," Dienekes spoke in a soft tone. "You have a warrior's senses. Focus. Find what you're looking for."

I tried to tune into the noises around me, just like I did during Capture the Flag. However, a city street was a little more chaotic than a silent forest. Tires rolling on wet pavement, footsteps along the sidewalk, people shouting as they go by. I kept walking with the group, all the while trying to focus on whatever kept me on edge. After a few more moments, things started to slow down. All that noise, though chaotic, began to mesh into a singular wave of sound. As everything flowed, I was able to pick out one thing that stood out of place. It didn't match with the rest of the sound. My eyes darted around as my ears tried to hone in. At first it just sounded like an odd noise but rapidly crescendoed into an unforgettable tune. A tune that reached my ears like a sharp, cold breeze. A soft humming where each note had meaning. Notes that carried words…

'Our song will never end.'

Like a magnet, my head turned behind me to where I had picked up the tune. A dark figure peaked its way through the crowds about thirty feet from where I was. His black armor wrapped around him like shadows, standing still in such an unsettling manner. I couldn't see his eyes through his helmet but I could tell they were staring straight at me. My body tensed up, my hand already trying to reach for the knife as I prepared to lock-in my shield. I could feel a warmth radiating from my pendant, almost like it was trying to counteract the sudden chills that hit my spine.

What's he doing? Who is he? Why is he here? Has he been following us this whole time?

The first time I had heard the song, it soothed me, like a campfire surrounded by friends. But this time it felt threatening, watchful, filled with anger. I took a step forward. I didn't know what I was even doing. The only thing I knew and remembered was that this song, more importantly the one who sang it, was enough to make Chiron as, dare I say it, scared as he was. I could sense Dienekes' uncertainty on this as well.

"Arthur!"

All of a sudden, I was pulled out of that momentary lull. One second I was hyper focused, and the next I stared at the faces of my compatriots who looked slightly confused. The tune was gone and the noises of the city came back. I quickly glanced at where I last saw the black-armored man but he was gone, just like that. It was then I noticed just how fast my heart was beating, and the sweat trickling down my forehead.

"We're here," Nico said.

I hadn't even realized it, but the five of us had stopped just outside a tucked away red-brick building with a faded, old sign that was easy to miss. It held a spot just over a set of wooden-double doors. My dyselixa forbade me from understanding the characters that were on it, but gradually the writing began to shift until I could clearly read the words: 'Hotel Xila'. Despite its fairly minimal look, it had an oddly nice set of marble steps that lead up to the doors. Nico wasted no time in walking through as the rest of us followed, the vision of what I just saw still lurking in my mind. Now I was debating with myself whether what I saw was real or not.

Maybe I really do need to rest.

The hotel was a quaint little place, nothing glamorous about it other than the marble floors that looked a quality above the rest. The lobby was small, with the reception to our left and a stairwell down the hall that I assume led up to the rooms. There was a small couch to our right that must have been a few decades old and a vending machine tucked away in one of the corners. With the reception desk currently empty, Nico rang the bell as the four of us waited patiently. Emile and Flip decided to go check out the vending machine to quickly discover that payment for food included banging the side of it. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long as an elderly gentleman came to the reception, loud and on the phone. He seemed almost completely unaware of any of us, continuing his conversation with whoever he was calling. But Nico didn't seem bothered, he simply took out a large gold coin that nearly filled out the size of his palm and slid it across the desk to the man.

"Drachma," Val whispered to me, as if she could sense my curiosity. "Currency of the Gods. Helpful. Flip packed a few."

"Oh good."

As usual, I can always rely on Val summarize things in a quick and brief manner. Now that she mentioned it, I think Chiron mentioned them when Iris messaging.

In an instant, the man stopped speaking and looked at the golden coin, then at Nico.

"How many?" he said.

"Five," Nico replied.

"Room Three." The man took the coin and replaced it with a small key.

Nico nodded and gestured to the rest of us to follow. I didn't bother trying to understand why such a random establishment would accept 'god money'. Best to just let some things be. I also thought 'Room Three' would mean we wouldn't have to climb up that many flights of stairs but I was wrong. A shame this place doesn't have an elevator. The man at reception must have given us the wrong room too since the place did not look like it was meant for five people. It was essentially a singular room that was barely able to fit three single beds and one double bed.

For the record, I am not sleeping next to Emile.

The bathroom was suspiciously clean with, again, an oddly high quality marble interior. The balcony had a pretty nice view as well but other than that, the room was pretty plain. But we weren't about to complain, immediately crashing onto whatever bed was calling to us. Flip and Val had to suffer the awkwardness of sharing the double bed but at this point they were too gassed out to even care. Personally, I think I would have suffocated to death if I had to sleep next to that 'lumbering ox'. I had reason to believe the feeling was mutual.

We gave ourselves some time to settle in. Val got up from the bed and took to the balcony, alone and quiet. Emile kept to himself and his music, whilst Nico went to the bathroom. I approached Flip, who was lying on the bed and nonchalantly playing with the coin he kept with him at all times.

"You come for a snuggle, slick?"

"I think that position's already taken," I mocked.

He promptly tried to kick me from where he was laying but gave up mid-way through. "Very funny."

"How you holdin' up?" I asked him.

He took a moment to look towards the balcony then back to the ceiling. "It's holding."

"Yeah… what do you think of this 'Silk Road' place?"

"It's definitely a lead. Not sure it's one I'd place my bets on but a gamble's a gamble. And it's Nico we're talking about, he's not really known to beat around the bush. There's a reason Chiron trusts him."

"Right." I thought about the pale-skinned boy, the weariness in his eyes, the softness when he spoke.

I looked back towards Val as she leaned against the railing, staring at the dimly lit city blocks.

"Who's Theo?" I asked, remembering the name she repeated during her episode.

"That…" Flip took a deep breath. "...is something you're gonna have to unpack for yourself, hondo."

"You seemed pretty worried back there."

He sighed. "Just a reaction."

He kept staring up into the ceiling, his coin drifting in between his fingers.

"Why do you always have that?" I gestured to the coin.

"Oh, this? Luck. I know, very cliche. It's platinum too. So that's neat."

"Where'd you get it?"

"It was a gift," he said, a strange bitterness in his tone. "One of the only real things I have of my mother."

Just the mention of it felt tense and strange. Seemed like it was the same for all demigods that talked about their godly parent.

"Must be nice always having the odds in your favor."

He simply nodded with an added 'mhm', still staring up into the ceiling. I looked towards the balcony again, watching as Val remained idle, observing the distant landscape. I haven't been able to check up on the Hermes girl since the mannequin incident. She had been pretty quiet after the whole thing so I had better go see how she was doing. Flip said that she saw a ghost, which couldn't have been good.

"I'm gonna go check up on, Val," I told him, as I began making my way towards the door of the balcony.

"I'll be praying for you," he chuckled, flipping the coin into the air and catching it with his palm.

The door to the balcony opened with a nice, cool gust of air hitting my face as the sound of the streets mingled below us. It was a decent view, the Manhattan Bridge looming in the background.

Val kept her gaze into the distance. "Not much going on out here, Art."

I shrugged as I leaned against the railing. "Could always use a moment to breathe."

"Amen to that."

"I wonder if the Greek Gods appreciate a heartfelt 'amen'."

"Don't think they really care," she admitted.

I began to engage in conversation. "You know, ever since I learned about them, I've always wondered… so is everyone else just wrong?"

"Ooft, don't even try to solve that maze," she said, catching on to what I was saying. "I tried the first time around and it gets you nowhere. I had a Catholic upbringing so it was pretty weird."

"Wait… so your Mom, a catholic. And Hermes, a Greek god…" It took me a moment to think that through. "That must've been…"

"Ohhh yeah."

"Crazy world."

The two of us shared a silence, but it was welcome rather than awkward.

"So a Catholic girl who liked to steal," I mocked her.

She scoffed. "Okay…"

I continued poking her about it. "I'm just saying, man. Isn't there like a Commandment that explicitly says not to ste–"

"I'm familiar, yes." She rolled her eyes as she tried to defend herself. "To be fair, I wasn't the only one."

"Uhuh, and who's Theo?"

She froze. Her expression didn't change but the way her eyes moved told me that she was shocked by the question, like she was wondering if I had really just asked her that. Then, she clenched her jaw, not like she was mad but like she was trying to hide her amusement.

Gottem.

"Wow, just like that," she said, almost in admiration.

"Just like that."

She waited a moment. "Fair."

In the time that I've known her, I've realized that Val isn't really one to share. Now, I'm all for privacy but I'm also all about setting the record straight, and what happened earlier seems like it's something that's been going on for a while. She remained silent, probably still unsure whether or not she should tell me.

"When you ran like that? Out of nowhere? That's not just something that 'happens', Val," I said. "I know these nightmares have been bugging you, and now that we know a Goddess is definitely behind it all, I doubt it's going to get any better. We need to be prepared, and that means a little bit of honesty and trust."

She let out a sigh, but no words came out.

"I'm asking you from a mission standpoint but also as a friend who worries."

She stared back out into the distance one last time before meeting my eyes. She drew one long breath as she tapped her hands against her vest before stuffing them deep in her pockets. I could still see them frantically moving under the fabric.

"Okay," she finally spoke. She muttered a little something under her breath before continuing. "Theo's my– was my little brother."

I crossed my arms, my back touching the railing as I gave my full attention.

"Everything I've told you before was true; my family was pretty well off, I ran away when I was very young, been at Camp ever since. But Theo was there for all of it. We stole together, fought together and I protected him."

She got a little choked up on that last part. This was the slowest and most methodical I've seen her speak. It's like every word was a struggle to get out but she continued, allowing me to listen. I could see that this was difficult for her, so I felt very honored that she was willing to tell me.

"He was my responsibility."

"So, what happened?" I asked, hoping I didn't push too much.

"Before Connor and Travis, the head counselor of the Hermes Cabin was a guy named Luke Castellan."

I feel like I've heard that name before.

"When we arrived at Camp, he treated us like family. And that was before we even found out we were actually family. He made us feel right at home, like we've known each other our whole lives. He taught us how to fight, how to survive and he is the only person I can admit has a better sleight of hand than me."

"Seems like a good guy."

I watched as a light died in her eyes.

"He was. Luke was the older brother we never had." She pulled out the pin from her hair and let it expand to its full length as the celestial bronze rapier. She looked down into its blade, wiping her eyes. "I learned from the best."

I remained quiet, allowing her those moments.

She continued, still staring at the blade. "And gods, Theo adored him. He always wanted an older brother. I may have been his role model but Luke was his hero."

The rapier shrunk down to its pin-size and she placed it back in the bun of her hair.

"But it turned out there was a lot going on with Luke that we didn't know about. Long story short; Luke despised the gods. For good reasons but you could say he took it too far, taking a good chunk of the campers with him on his… crusade."

"And Theo went with him."

She hung her head, nodding as she tried to cover her face but I could already see the tears.

"Joining Kronos, starting a war? I could see it was too much but Theo…" she started to sob. "Theo loved Luke. I tried so hard. Tried to convince him that it was all wrong but he–"

I could hear her sentences starting to falter. I quickly placed my hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her, looking like she was about to break down but she managed to compose herself. She took my hand aside, thanking me. I assured her that she didn't need to continue if she didn't want to. I told her that she had already said enough but she persisted. She said she felt like this would be one of the only chances she could let it all out. Again, I was honoured.

I looked through the glass doors that separated the balcony and our room. Nobody looked like they were paying much attention and Nico still appeared to be in the bathroom. Another moment passed by until she proceeded.

"Every year, for Theo's birthday, I'd always try to take the most valuable thing I could find and give it to him. I'd see that stupid grin every time… I didn't see him for four years. All those birthdays I never spent with him…"

Four years was a long time to be separated, let alone having to come to terms that your little brother was on 'the other side'. I couldn't imagine the pain.

"After the war ended, I heard some of the demigods who turned were returning to Camp. There was no sign of him during the battle for the city so I had hope - hope that I could see him again. My little brother…" I could see her bracing herself for the next part. "Turns out, the reason he wasn't in Manhattan was because he was on the Princess Andromeda."

"The Princess Andromeda?"

"It was a ship that transported Kronos and his army. A week or so before the battle, Percy Jackson and Charles Beckendorf went on a mission to destroy it. Percy made it out alive but only because Charles sacrificed himself, blowing up the ship and… everyone on it..."

After being at Camp long enough, for once I was familiar with those names and from what I heard that was a pretty infamous event.

"He would've turned 12 that year."

"I'm so sorry, Val." I tried to comfort her, not really sure of what else to say.

She didn't say anything but I let her digest it nonetheless.

"How did you find out he was on the Andromeda?"

She nodded her head towards Flip, laying flat on the bed. His eyes were closed but I could tell he was awake as he fiddled with that platinum coin.

"When I started asking around for Theo, he was the first one who came up to me and told me what happened. He said he was a part of the group of demigods on the ship as well. Percy warned them to get off and Flip was one of the few to get out in time. The others were still too loyal."

"I see."

"That was the first time I met Flip too," she said, a little bit of light coming back into her words. "Hated him at first because of it. Kept telling him he should have tried harder to get Theo off the ship but I was just lashing out. I guess I just wanted someone to blame."

"I'm sure he understood."

"Yeah," she admitted, still staring at the son of Tyche. Her face started to glow with memory. "He always reassured me. Told me that for as long he knew Theo, he was treated well. So I've always appreciated him for that."

With a little bit of math, I connected the dots in my head. "Wow, so you two have only known each other for 6 months? Definitely doesn't feel like it."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" she remarked, her sparky attitude returning.

"Just saying, the way you guys fight? Reminds me of drunk aunties and uncles at a family barbecue."

She laughed, showing the first sign of a smile after a period of dark history. "What kind of analogy is that?"

"Am I wrong?"

In response, she kindly flipped me the bird.

I looked back at Flip who was still mindlessly playing with his coin. "He was really worried about you, you know."

"I know," she said softly. "I mean, he's the only one who really knew. Well, I guess you know now too."

"And I appreciate you telling me. I genuinely do."

"And thanks for listening," she smiled. "How are you doing?"

The question took me a little by surprise as I was already preparing to bring the conversation to an end but I was happy to answer. "Not bad… just trying to make sure this mission doesn't fall apart."

Now that was the truth.

"Still thinking about, Birch?" she asked.

I leant back over the railing. "Yep…"

"You guys seem pretty close."

"Sorta," I replied, seeing the curiosity arrive in her expression. " I didn't know him for long but for that small amount of time, he did more things for me than anyone else I can remember. Always had a grin, even when I didn't. And well… I felt like I failed him, and wasn't there when he needed me the most."

"Don't need to tell me how that feels."

"Oh. Right."

The two of us expressed a little joy amidst the cold night air.

I suppose misery does love company.

"Ya know, I'm sure Emile felt just as helpless as you. Maybe you two should lay off each other."

"What? You guys best friends now?" I responded sarcastically.

She shook her head. "You know what I mean."

I checked back to see what Jarhead-face was doing and he still had his earbuds in, his back turned towards us as he laid on his mattress.

"Without him, I wouldn't have a weapon."

I cocked my eyebrow. "He made your rapier?"

She nodded. "Made it when no one else could. Dude's got talent."

It really was a nice blade from what I could tell.

"The guy just gets on my nerves sometimes. Like he just doesn't even care."

"Maybe you guys just got off on the wrong foot…"

I stared at her.

"...okay, you guys got off on a really wrong foot. But so did me and Flip."

"And look at you two now…"

She punched me on the shoulder, a response I was semi-expecting.

"All I'm saying, Arthur, is that we all have our own shit to deal with." She gestured, again, to the son of Hephaestus lying peacefully. "He lost a brother the same day I did. Coming from experience, the last thing you want is for it to happen again. So play nice."

"Yes, Mom."

"Your actual Mom would probably say the same thing."

That's when I shut my mouth, because she was right. I turned around and took in the view of the city-by-night, one more time before deciding to finally head in.

"You gonna stay out here?" I asked Val, who nodded in return. "Alright, well, I'm going to try and get some rest. Maybe you should too. We'll talk again in the morning."

Just before I left, I looked at her one last time, stretching out my arm. "Hey, you got my back, right?"

She took her right hand out of her pocket, grasping my palm. "As long as you've got mine."

With a smirk and a nod, I headed back into the warmth of the hotel room.

Passing by Emile's bed, I thought about it for a second. I slowly went up to him only to realize he was dead asleep, music blaring as the snores started to get louder.

Nevermind.

I went over to check on Flip, who seemed to have fallen asleep too. The only one missing was Nico. Too tired to sleep (if that makes sense), I thought I'd go to the bathroom and see if I could reach Mom through an Iris message, now knowing what drachma was. As I moved towards the bathroom door, I could hear multiple voices inside which I thought was strange.

Nico was still in there. I gave it a minute before politely knocking on the door. Almost instantly, the door swung open as I stood face to face with the dark-haired boy. I was a lot taller than he was, and this close I had to look down. I knew almost nothing about him other than his parentage, and the fact that his presence was very different to any other demigod I've met.

He spoke first. "Sorry, I was just making some calls - through an Iris, to be clear - told Chiron our situation."

"He's still awake?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

...

"I heard other voices too," I said. "Who were they?"

"Just some others."

"Okay."

"Yeah."

...jeez, this is really awkward.

"So… a son of Hades? What's that like?"

"Pretty wild."

"Cool…"

"Son of Ares, right?" he said, almost an attempt to reciprocate some of the energy.

"Yeah."

"You're pretty different from all the rest."

"I mean I don't think so, but I can see why people say that."

"Oh, cool…"

A silence fell on the conversation that probably went on for about 3 seconds but it felt like 3 minutes.

"Right, well I just wanted to make a call to–"

"Oh yeah, of course."

I waited but he remained standing in the doorway.

"I just gotta–"

"Oh right, sorry."

The two of us did an even more awkward shimmy as we essentially swapped places. I was expecting that that would be that and we would go back to our separate activities. He was already walking away but I guess I just couldn't help myself.

"Thank you, by the way, for helping us out," I said as sincerely as I could, half my body sticking out of the door. I thanked him earlier for saving us but I thought I'd do a proper one.

He tilted his head to the side slightly, a combination of subtle surprise and calculation on his face, like that was one of the last things he expected me to say.

"I– uh… you are welcome," he replied, his feet doing a strange shuffle.

"Chiron said you were very busy, had a lot going on. So… you being here is uh… yeah– it means a lot."

Again, his face met me with that same confusion. His eyes twitched, forcing themselves to stay awake.

"Um, yeah… no problem. You guys seem like a good bunch." I watched as his eyeline trailed off.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then."

"Sure." He flicked a singular golden drachma that I just managed to react to in time. "For your call."

Then, without another word, he walked back to his bed, falling into its sheets like a dead body.

What a strange guy… seems to know what he's doing though.

Using the coin from Nico, I did my best to try and 'create a rainbow' using the bathroom sink. It was a little finicky but I managed to find the right angle and lighting. I remembered what Chiron showed me and tossed a coin into the small rainbow.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering," I said very formally and visualized an image of my Mom, hoping it would become real.

I wasn't really expecting anything. It was like 2 am in the morning and I didn't really know what the time difference was from here to wherever she was deployed. It looked like no one was picking up but right at the last second, just before I closed it off, the comforting visage of my Mom shone through the rainbow. I noticed she had her gear on, so she must have been on patrol. Not the best time to call.

"Arthur?" she said, a little surprised. She looked at her watch and it seemed like she was about to lecture me but then stopped. "You look tired."

"Yeah. Long day."

It was almost like she was peering through the image. "You're not at Camp."

"Nope."

I proceeded to give her the straight answer as quickly as possible before she got any more worried. I explained where we were and why, including a shortened version (very shortened) of what Chiron told us. She did her best to process everything, but I understand that it can be pretty difficult.

"I can't believe it," she said.

"I know," I admitted. She must have been worried sick. "Look, Mom, I promise I'll be sa–"

Then a strange excitement lit up on her face. "My son, on his first mission!"

I took a moment to pause. "Uh… what? Aren't you going to tell me off? Like it's 'too dangerous' or something?"

My Mom made a noise that I can only describe as a laugh. "Are you kidding? I didn't raise you thinking you couldn't handle anything. I mean yes, of course, by the Gods, be careful but I know you. Monster or not, you're a Pride."

A soft smile lifted my tired eyes. "Thanks, Mom."

And this is exactly why I wanted to call my Mom.

"You must be busy," I said.

She sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately. I can't talk for long."

"Yeah, of course."

"... but I've got a few minutes."

A few minutes was more than enough. I just wanted to catch up with her. Not only about me but about her as well. Things were quiet over on her end apparently, but they're expecting things to escalate soon. It was weird but cool, the two of us talking whilst we were both on our own missions. Dienekes also had some words he wanted to share with my Mom, meaning that I had to be the translator but it was interesting to hear what the old spartan had to say. It hadn't dawned on me that these two had their own relationship before I was even born.

"You know how to use that thing?" Mom gestured to the tactical knife.

"Pfft, of course."

She gave me a skeptical look. "Remember that plastic one I gave you on your birthday? You cried because you hit yourself in the face?"

"What did you do?" D stifled a laugh.

I let out a groan being reminded of that embarrassing memory. "I'll be fine, Mom."

"I'm just teasing," she chuckled.

I couldn't help but giggle too. I loved that toy knife. A shame it didn't last long. I brought it to school a few too many times.

"Well, I'm glad you've got your friends with you," she said. "Sounds like a decent crew. Even that Hephaestus boy you seem to have such a problem with."

"Yeah… well."

"At least you two can behave when it counts. Remember what I said. Shoulder to shoulder. All that matters is–"

" – the man to your left and the man to your right. Yes, Mom, I know."

She surrendered her hands up. "Just saying; you forget that one simple rule and the whole line comes crashing down. Dienekes can tell you all about it."

The spartan merely grunted.

"Out of curiosity. Flip and Val. How long has that been going on?"

"How long has what been going on?" I responded, confused at the question. "Like, how long have they known each other?"

She squinted her eyes. "You can't be serious."

"I don't know, they've known each other for a bit, I guess–"

"Jesus, Arthur, you are blind. And I haven't even met them. I've just been going off what you're telling me."

I only got more confused. "What are you talking about? Huh?"

"You have a lot to learn, Arthur Pride."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Mom."

Then her mood shifted, out of the blue. "But it disturbs me. Some of the things I've heard from you. The things these kids go through."

She's having the same reaction I did, but it's probably even more eye-opening when you're an adult.

"From what I'm hearing, these kids have more experience than some of the guys I've met over the years… shit, probably more experienced than some NCO's."

It was a rather harrowing thought, that kids had more experience in war than literal soldiers and officers.

"I have a feeling they'll need you, Arthur."

I clutched the edges of the bathroom sink, a gut reaction to whatever I was feeling. For as long as I can remember, I was taught that a Pride's worth comes from what they can protect. That we have an obligation to the things we love. The spartans died to protect their homeland and that sentiment stayed with our family ever since. My grandpa always used to say, 'a Pride should be the first one to pick up a weapon, and the last one to leave the battlefield'. Granted, he was a pretty intense man but he had a fairly crazy life of his own.

Chiron said that the group is going to need me; to lead the way. And now Mom is saying it too. Talk about pressure.

The conversation ended shortly after. Once the flickering colors of the small rainbow disappeared, I felt both relieved and anxious. Happy to talk to Mom again but also unsure where the rest of this journey might lead.

I know I shouldn't be thinking about it, but the whispers of Melinoe were still manifesting in the back of my mind. She said a fight was all I was good for. Of course, that isn't true but thoughts kept flashing back to the bloodied face of Hunter, the image of Birch's body being dragged away because I couldn't control myself, all the times I felt ecstasy during a battle. I haven't had an episode with my anger in a while, but I've noticed small sparks of temper slowly inhabiting my day-to-day. I get angry when I think of my failures. Even now, just the thought of it makes my temperature rise.

'... is that all you're good for?'

All my family has ever done is fight, even if it's to protect…

This isn't helping, I think I need to get some sleep.

Leaving the bathroom, my mind split in two, I wanted nothing more than to gather as many hours of sleep as I could before the sun rose. Emile and Nico were fast asleep, leaving the one single bed for me. It was the one in the middle, right between them but I too sleepy to complain. I slumped my way over to the white pillow calling my name but before I officially called it a night, I noticed that the double bed was completely empty and Flip was no longer where he was before. A quick sensation of panic came over me but that went away as soon as I saw where they were. It was so dark out that I didn't see at first, but out there on the balcony, Flip and Val stood next to each other. Talking about gods knows what. Initially, I thought they were having an argument like they usually do but then I noticed that they weren't arguing… but laughing.

It took me a moment to realize but when I thought about it; Val didn't really smile that often, at least not sincerely, but when she did, Flip was always there.