Chapter III: The Prophecy Changes (I)

Reminder: All words in italics are spoken in the mind.

Percy (Paul) POV:

You've got to be kidding me. I wasn't so much as rendered speechless as I was angry. I had thought for the longest time, that maybe, just maybe I had been thrown into this world by accident. That after a bit of time, I'd be allowed to peacefully go home and not get involved. But no. Instead Fate had other plans, despite how much I had fought and sacrificed. In the end, I would always serve the gods. Be it in this world, or my own, perhaps even a third one. Who knows at this rate?

Just deal with it. The Oracle seemed to say through her worm-eaten eye sockets. I watched as the mummy was precariously carried back up into the attic of the Big House where she belonged. This is the price you pay for winning against the Hunters, She seemed to add as her head bobbed away.

I scoffed. As if. Whatever.

Fate integrating me into the paths of my eventual questmates wasn't even the most worrying part about this whole thing. The prophecy was twice as long as the original. Not only did we have to tackle the same problems I had on my own quest, we now had six more lines of issues to resolve.

"You don't look very happy," Nico said beside me. He shivered, and I realized I had let slip a hint of my aura on accident.

I inhaled deeply, then exhaled, then again twice more. "I'm alright, really."

"You don't have to lie," Nico patted my arm. "Normally, you seem to be the most… mmm, mature?"

"Do I?" I chuckled dryly. "I suppose, though mature and Per- I mean, Paul don't really go together."

"Paul?"

"My name. Sorry, I haven't got around to introducing myself to everyone yet."

"Aww, I was getting used to calling you the Black Knight!"

"How many hit points do I have, you reckon?"

"Over 9000!"

Somehow, the young son of Hades managed to cheer me up before I joined the rest of Camp in the rec room. As always, the council was held around a Ping-Pong table. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Which, under party conditions, I'd pop a flask. But at this moment, I wasn't in the mood to get drunk.

Although, when Mr. D changed the wine to Diet Coke, I immediately snagged a can.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca, who had kinda become Zoe's personal assistant, took the other end. Perseus, Grover, and Atti sat along the right, right beside me, and the other head councilors – Beckendorf, Silena, and the Stoll brothers – sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative too, but all of them had somehow gotten broken limbs and were resting up in the infirmary.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"Uh, no offense, but no," I interjected. "You're skipping a lot of points, Lieutenant."

"Where would you even go?" Chiron began.

"West!" Bianca said. She looked brighter than usual, her skin glowing faintly as if she was bathed in moonlight. I wondered if the Hunters had showers in their cabin that rained moonlight water, but knew in reality it was just the visible blessing of Artemis' aura. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the deities in chains. We can get six hunters and go!"

"Yes, west." I deadpanned. "Which includes California, Washington, Arizona, Utah, and many others. How west, and where exactly are specific."

"We'll figure out where along the way," Zoe glared at me. "We're the Hunters of Artemis! Our goddess needs us. We must find her and free her!"

"Except, you're missing something as usual," Perseus drawled. "Campers, Hunters, a stranger prevail. We're supposed to do this together, along with that guy." He jabbed his thumb at me. "This prophecy may be weird, but I know for sure one of them has to be him."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Perseus rolled his eyes. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Perseus shook his head. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said, "Campers and Hunters must cooperate. Along with… our guest."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it was a fine bouquet. "Death shall be found. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed. "With all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Perseus said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, having to work with your ugly mug, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, looking like she was debating whether or not she should clock the son of Zeus in the head with the paddle in her hand.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December 21st, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "As should Athena. Both are the most vocal in the council arguing for action against Kronos and his minions. If neither of them are present, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," Chiron said. "Both goddesses' presence are crucial to the meeting. Not only that, our time is short, and you must also be wary of the beast that Artemis was searching for. Now we must decide who should go on this quest."

"Three and two," I interjected after a moment of silence. "Three from the Hunters, and two from Camp. That's more than fair. Also since, as Perseus pointed out," I paused, the taste of my own name aimed at someone else still surreal to me. "The stranger can't be anyone but me."

"And how's that?" Silena asked.

I eyed the senior counselor carefully. If the case of her being a spy for Luke still held true in this reality, I had to tread carefully around her. The less Kronos knew about me, the better.

"I'm a veteran demigod hailing from a delegation overseas." I said sternly, in a tone similar to how Reyna speaks to the legion, one that demanded silent acceptance. "Unless you know, you happen to have another stranger lying around somewhere."

Atti facepalmed. The rest of the council had no choice but to believe me, regardless of how many questions my spontaneous introduction sparked in their minds.

"Back to the main point," Chiron coughed. "Three and two would be most fair, as this is a mission to save Artemis and Athena."

"I would prefer to take all of the Hunters," Zoe said. "We will need strength in numbers."

"In the final fight perhaps," I said. "But the journey there is better fit for a smaller group. We'll be retracing the goddess' path, the same one she was following for the monster she was hunting. A small group has less of a chance to be sensed by the enemy, who probably knows we're gonna come for them. In an operation like this, stealth is key. I'm sure Artemis would agree with me."

Zoe shot me a glare, before huffing indignantly and looking away. No doubt she had reached a similar conclusion as I spoke, but was too prideful to admit I was right. The paddle in her hand was starting to erode with how much she was fidgeting with it.

"This monster – the bane of Olympus." She said after recollecting herself. "I have hunted at Lady Artemis' side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus, even though I knew the wine god could care less what was being discussed at the moment. He was flipping through a wine magazine, only to look up when he realized everyone was silent.

"Well, don't look at me." He said, bemused. "I'm a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."

"He's not wrong," I muttered, earning me a smack on the shoulder, courtesy of Atti.

"Chiron," Atti asked. "You don't have any ideas about this monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, would fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseiden, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive, perhaps even more powerful."

"If I may," I spoke up, turning everyone's attention to me, "I believe that we are simply looking over the obvious. Think on this, whatever the monster or creature is, Artemis herself figured that she was capable of taking care of it herself. Artemis is no slouch, but still, if the monster is enough for one goddess to take care of, it must not be that powerful."

"Correct," Chiron surmised. "Like the suggestions I made before would take the powers of all the gods, perhaps even more so. What do you think it is then, Paul?"

I pretended to think. "Well, like I said, the beast... or creature must hold some sort of power within that makes it capable of destroying Olympus. Perhaps it's not the creature itself that will destroy Olympus, as you would need a mighty amount of force to do that. And following the common beast algorithm, the more power you have, the bigger you are in size."

Everyone stilled for a moment, scouring their brains for possibilities. I wanted so badly just to tell everyone that it was the Ophiotaurus, but figured it would be better just to lead them towards it instead of telling them outright. I hadn't quite earned the trust of the Camp yet, much less the demigods I traveled here with. Knowing about the Ophiotaurus would paint me in a darker light, since who other than the Titans would care about the entrails of an animal capable of bringing down the gods?

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. I like how he said you instead of we. Thanks bro. "It sounds like at least two of the six are going to die."

"Death shall be found in the land without rain," Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And the Titan's curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

I watched as Chiron and Zoe exchanged a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it. Probably for the best.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Grover said in between bites. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

"Ha," I shook my head. "You'd be surprised. Plenty of demigods end up dead simply cause their immortal parents treat them as liabilities. And sometimes, it's by accident. However, if it weren't for the Big Three's influence on the gods, plenty of other gods would love to take a crack at reducing Perseus and Atalanta into a grease spot."

Heavy silence followed my statement.

"And the whole 'Sacred oath of brotherhood, stained by heaven's blood'," Perseus looked queasy as he recited the lines of the prophecy. "Who could that entail?"

"I have no clue," I admitted. This was beyond even what I knew. "There's a lot to unpack, and I don't even know where to start."

"Unleashing hell by the Serpent's wrath," Atti muttered. "The only snake I can think of is the Python Apollo slayed."

Another silence followed. The air was tense, with both sides lost in confusion and stress.

"Prophecies are never clear, despite what they say. It's best we let Fate take its course, as intended. There will be deaths, however." Chiron decided reluctantly. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.

Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine Connoisseur magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Coincidental timing," I sighed.

"Anyways," Silena said. "We should figure out who's going. Two campers right…?" She glanced at me.

"Yep."

"Oh, I see." Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one who put arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

I sighed internally. I knew what was going to happen. The last thing I needed was for the Stoll brothers to turn their ire onto me however. Call it selfish, but when those two set your sights on you, you were gonna get screwed in some way, shape, or form, without a doubt.

Zoe sighed and took the shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish for Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But… I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted, curling an arm around the newest huntress. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

Bianca closed her mouth. It was an overwhelming sensation, being told that you'd be partaking in a quest less than 24 hours after finding out you were half god. I remembered my own quest, back when I was twelve. I felt totally unprepared. A little honored, maybe, but a lot resentful and plenty scared. If not for Annabeth, and Grover… I didn't want to imagine how south things could've gone.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Perseus butted in. "And he's got satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. From personal experience, the tracker's song was slightly misleading, as it led you to clues that would eventually lead to the final target, which often felt more like a wild goose chase. But, Zoe seemed to think it was a good thing, and sighed.

"Very well," She said. "And the second camper?"

"I'll go," Perseus stood and looked around, daring anyone to question him. His aura pulsed intensely, and for a moment, I wondered what exactly was vexing him for him to be so emotionally stressed.

"No." Zoe said, narrowing her eyes at the boy. "I'll let the satyr slide. But thou? Never."

"Yea, well, I don't think you get much say," Perseus crossed his arms. "In case you ever pull your head out of your ass, it's not just Artemis in trouble. Annabeth and Athena are in trouble too!"

"Then I'll go," Atti stood up, blatantly ignoring Perseus. "Since you'll need a second–

"I already said I'm going," Perseus interrupted. "And nobody, not even the Lieutenant of the Hunt can stop me."

Zoe looked like she wanted to leap over the table and dropkick the boy right then and there, but couldn't without obvious repercussions.

"No." Zoe repeated flatly, her knuckles white with how tightly she gripped the paddle. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

"At this rate, nothing's ever gonna be decided," I groaned audibly. "You two need to put aside your beef. If it were up to me, I would withhold both of you from going."

"I don't care," Perseus had his hand clenched around his lightsaber keychain. "Annabeth is in trouble. I've a hunch that Luke is behind this somewhere. Fine, you don't want me going cause I'm a guy. Whatever. But Annabeth is my family. And beyond anything, surely you Hunters get that concept more than anything else."

He slammed his palm down on the table. "I can't sit back doing nothing while my only family is out there suffering from who knows what. Say what you want. There's no point in arguing with someone like you." Then he sat back down, refusing to say anymore.

Atti looked disappointed. She rubbed her arm sadly, as if she wanted to say more but couldn't. Annabeth was her friend as well, yet all the spaces of the quest were filled. Fortunately, should the Stolls' revenge prank go through, Atti would still be set to go.

Not that I could tell her that, of course.

"So be it," Chiron said, seemingly relieved that the council could finally conclude. "Perseus and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe, along with Paul. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods," he glanced at Dionysus, "present company included, we hope – be with you."

{o0o}

Atalanta POV:

I didn't show up for dinner that night, which was a mistake, because Chiron and Grover came looking for me.

"Atti, I'm so sorry!" Grover said, sitting next to me on the bunk. "I didn't know they'd – that you'd – Honest!"

I shook my head, waving aside his concerned sniffles. "It's okay, really. I just, well, Perseus is not the only one who cares about Annabeth. It's annoying that he acts like nobody else cares but him."

Grover's lower lip trembled. "I wasn't even thinking… I was so focused on helping Artemis. But I promise, I'll look everywhere for Annabeth. If I can find her, I will."

For a second, I wanted to deck Grover. It was irrational, but the fact he openly admitted he forgot Annabeth was in trouble over his staunch worship of Artemis only dug a larger hole in my heart.

"Grover," Chiron said, "perhaps you'd let me have a word with Atti."

"Sure," he sniffled.

Chiron waited.

"Oh," Grover said. "You mean alone. Sure, Chiron." He looked at me miserably. "See? Nobody needs a goat."

He trotted out the door, blowing his nose on his sleeve.

Chiron sighed and knelt on his horse legs. "Atti, I don't pretend to understand prophecies."

"Yeah," I said. "Well, maybe that's because they don't make any sense. Most of the time."

Chiron gazed at the saltwater spring gurgling in the corner of the room. "Perseus would not have been my first choice to go on this quest. He's too impetuous. He acts without thinking. He is too sure of himself."

"Would you have chosen me?"

Chiron gave me a pointed glance. "Frankly no. You and Perseus are much alike. The only difference here is that you don't have a visible grudge against Miss Nightshade."

"Thanks a lot."

The centaur smiled. "You are, however, less sure of yourself than Perseus. That could be good or bad. But one thing I can say: both of you together would be a dangerous thing. Volatile, one might say."

"We could handle it."

"The way you handled it at the creek tonight?"

I didn't answer. He'd nailed me.

"Perhaps it is for the best," Chiron mused. "You can go home to your mother for the holidays. If we need you, we can call."

"Yeah," I said, dejectedly. "Maybe."

I pulled Riptide out of my pocket and set it on my nightstand. It didn't seem that I'd be using it for anything but writing Christmas cards. I wondered if Riptide even had a pen form, uncapped of course.

When he saw the pen, Chiron grimaced. "It's no wonder Zoe doesn't want you along, I suppose. Not while you're carrying that particular weapon."

I didn't understand what he meant. Then I remembered something he'd told me a long time ago, when he first gave me the magic sword: It has a long and tragic history, which we need not go into.

I wanted to ask him about that, but then he pulled out a golden drachma from his saddlebag and tossed it to me. "Call your mother, Atti. Let her know you're coming home in the morning. And, ah, for what it's worth… I almost volunteered for this quest myself. I would have gone, if not for…"

He tapered off, and I nodded. "One shall perish by a parent's hand. Yeah."

I took a deep breath, flipping the drachma in my hand. "Chiron, is Paul familiar to you? Like, at all?"

Chiron sighed. "Familiar? I cannot say I have ever met a demigod as young and as powerful as him, perhaps maybe equivalent to Hercules or Theseus, maybe even more so. His energy feels very close to someone else's, though heavily suppressed. From what I've discussed with him, he doesn't appear to be a threat. Are you concerned about his presence?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. The way he talks and acts proves that he's been living as a demigod for a long time. But I've never heard of other groups of demigods except for us and Luke. And he's way too old for Luke to have known about. If Luke knew about someone that strong, he'd either be recruiting Paul or planning to eliminate him from the final battle."

"He's an enigma, that much I can conclude." Chiron's face darkened. "Mr. D already dislikes his presence here, and no doubt has reported up to Olympus by now. Knowing Zeus however, the gods will not be as concerned about Paul's outworldly presence. And so, it would do us no good to question his motives further."

"Yeah," I agreed.

After Chiron left, I sat in silence for a while, listening to the drops of water dripping in the spring. I wondered what to say to my mom. I really wasn't in the mood to have one more adult tell me that doing nothing was the greatest thing I could do, but I figured my mom deserved an update.

Finally, I took a deep breath and threw in the coin. "O goddess, accept my offering."

The mist shimmered. The light from the bathroom was just enough to make a faint rainbow.

"Show me Sally Jackson," I said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."

And there in the mist was a scene I did not expect. My mom was sitting at our kitchen table with some… guy. They were laughing hysterically. There was a big stack of textbooks between them. The man was, I don't know, thirty-something, with longish salt-and-pepper hair and a brown jacket over a black T-shirt. He looked like an actor – like a guy who might play an undercover cop on television.

I was too stunned to say anything, and fortunately, my mom and the guy were too busy laughing to notice my Iris-message.

The guy said, "Sally, you're a riot. You want some more wine?"

"Ah, I shouldn't. You go ahead if you want."

"Actually, I'd better use your bathroom. May I?"

"Down the hall," she said, trying not to laugh.

The actor dude smiled and got up and left.

"Mom!" I said.

She jumped so hard she almost knocked her textbooks off the table. Finally she focused on me. "Atti! Oh, honey! Is everything okay?"

"What are you doing?" I demanded. "Who's that?"

She blinked. "Homework. And that's just Paul – um, Mr. Blofis. He's in my writing seminar."

"Mr. Blowfish?"

"Blofis. He'll be back in a minute, Atti. Tell me what's wrong."

She always knew when something was wrong. I told her everything. About Annabeth, about the weird guy showing up who was also named Paul, about the quest that I wasn't going to be a part of.

"Mom." I said, suddenly curious. "Can I ask what you would've named me had I been born as a guy?"

My mother's eyes widened as she thought about it, then smiled. "If you had been my son, Atti, your name would have been Perseus. And that would've been rather confusing when talking to you and the son of Zeus, wouldn't it?"

I nodded. "I think I'd have to go by Percy for short then."

"Or P1 and P2," Mom teased.

I chuckled dryly. "I guess. Anyways, Mom, I just wanted to say, I think I'll be coming home tomorrow. They're telling me there's nothing I can do. I want to go but Perseus," I paused, then continued. "He's pretty adamant that he has to be the one to save her."

My mom turned her pencil around in her fingers. "Atti, as much as I want you to come home," She sighed like she was mad at herself. "As much as I want you to be safe, I want you to understand something. You need to do whatever you think you have to."

I stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you really, deep down, believe that you have to help save her? Do you think it's the right thing to do? Because I know one thing about you, Atti. Your heart is always in the right place. Listen to it."

"But…" I sat down on the edge of my bed. "So… you're, you're telling me to go?"

My mom pursed her lips. "I'm telling you that… you're getting too old for me to tell you what to do. I'm telling you that I'll support you, even if what you decide to do is dangerous. I can't believe I'm saying this."

"Mom–"

The toilet flushed down the hall in our apartment.

"I don't have much time," Mom said. "Atti, whatever you decide, I love you. And I know you'll do what's best for Annabeth."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because she'd do the same for you."

And with that, my mother waved her hand over the mist, dissolving the connection and leaving me with one final image of her new friend, Mr. Blowfish, smiling down at her.

I slumped onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Would she though?" I muttered into silence. It sucked. I never thought I'd be throwing a tantrum over not going on a potentially dangerous quest involving very definite deaths of my questmates. But here I was, fuming as I lay in bed.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I remember the dream.

I stood in front of a golden and bronze cage, reinforced with some sort of dampening energy. Inside, the faint silver shimmers of moonlight glowed weakly like a dying light bulb. Had it not been for Paul's question for the Oracle, or perhaps the Hunters' dramatic reaction to their missing mistress, I wouldn't have been able to tell that the weakened goddess in the cage was Artemis.

"Artemis?" I tried to speak, only to remember that my voice wouldn't work in a dream. I drifted closer, only to pull back, wincing as the runes carved on the cage began to affect me.

"How is our lord's bride?" A male voice boomed.

My mind paused. Aside from how the man addressed Artemis, I struggled to figure out his identity. It wasn't Kronos, that's for sure. Kronos' voice was raspy and metallic, like a knife scraping across stone. I'd heard it taunting me many times before in my dreams. But this voice was deeper and lower, like a bass guitar. Its force was powerful enough to make the ground vibrate.

"The runes are working perfectly," An unknown demigod clambered up as close as he could to the cage before saluting to the unseen man. "I'm curious, General, wouldn't this incite the anger of the Hunters?"

"Ehehehehe," The man chuckled slowly. "Of course it would. And according to the lord's ferry, those insects have already been assigned a quest to come save their eternal maiden from the throes of marriage!"

"They won't succeed, will they?"

"Foolish demigod, do you believe a few campers and Hunters can survive my strength? We have two goddesses of great importance in our grasp, one trapped beneath an inescapable prison, and the other, slowly being perfected into a gift for our lord's return. We aren't fighting the Hunt, but a mere group of six insects! They are fools for hoping at all!"

The man chuckled again, his laugh echoing in my ears. "According to Luke, their strongest forces approach. Imagine, if you can, after we decimate them and offer their futile efforts to our lord as first blood in the war. The gods attempt to fight us with a lack of strategy and intelligence, their camps filled with fighters that even our most clueless minions can roll over and bury. It's been millennia for me, trapped under my insufferable curse. When Kronos rises again, I shall stand as his proper right hand, and paint the earth with gold! The Age of Titans shall rise again!"

"You will– N-Never succeed!" The goddess' voice startled me, mostly because she appeared to be hibernating too deeply to speak.

"Ohoho, the bride awakes," The man boomed, his tone condescending. "I would save my energy if I were you, Lady Artemis. The more you struggle, the more you'll lose."

"The Serpent will bring your downfall," Artemis gasped as the cage began to siphon her energy once more. Her face was gaunt, having lost the regal beauty I witnessed on my first meeting with the goddess. "You-" She coughed, her eyes widening as ichor spat out her lips. "You are doomed, Atlas. You won't be able to handle the oncoming storm." She retched, wincing as she slumped.

"Keep talking, by all means," The man, Atlas, I think I heard, said. "You will only be weakened quicker. And better for us." He turned to the demigod, which I had honestly forgotten was there in the first place. "Let us leave the silly goddess alone. We must prepare the perfect welcoming party for her saviors. There's quite a journey before us."

The moment Atlas and the demigod left, Artemis' eyes turned to me. I don't know how she sensed my dream presence, or even knew I was there, but her silvery-yellow eyes locked onto mine as if I was standing right beside her.

"Tread carefully, Atalanta," The goddess rasped. "Your journey contains many surprises. Brace yourself. And good luck."

The dream cut as I was whisked back into bed, and I awoke with a start. The only things I really recalled was that one, there was a big man named Atlas who was confident he could destroy us, two, there was a spy in camp somewhere, and three, the identity of the Serpent only became more mysterious. Of course, all this was far too complex for my 2 am demigod brain to properly analyze, and so I fell swiftly asleep again within seconds.

{o0o}

"Ewuah!" I woke up with my face buried in my pillow, tasting the cotton case as I pushed myself up in a daze. I was sure I heard banging on my door, but I thought I must've dreamed it. I groaned, trying to go back to sleep. Between the hecticness of everything that had happened, I wasn't in the mood to be disturbed from my bed anymore.

"Ayo, Atti, you awake?!" A loud and familiar voice called outside my cabin door, making me growl.

"I swear…" I grumbled tossing on a clean shirt and angrily throwing my hair into a ponytail. I stomped up to my door and threw it open, rightfully annoyed out of my mind. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Woah, woah, woah, sheeesh!" Paul's hands were raised in the air beside his head like he was surrendering. His green eyes glowed with amusement, showing that he at least expected my reaction. "Look, I know it's early but–"

"You know it's early so you decided to give me a visit for no reason?"

"It's not like… that early though. It's five something? Yea."

"Arrgh, just let me sleep!"

"See, I would, but I have some news I think you'd like to hear. Oh, and your horsey fanboy has another mission for you."

"My what? And what now? What?"

"Wow, now that I really look at you, you look like you've been sleeping in a hurricane. Don't you need some sleep?"

I glared at him, yet his damnable smirk never left his stupid face. The one thing I learned about Paul was that even though he was the scariest demigod I had ever met, his humorous streak stretched several miles wide. The guy loved nothing more than a good bit of fun, even if it meant irking a bunch of immortal maidens in the process. Dude had actual balls of steel.

"Okay, but in all seriousness, your pegasus wants you. He looked about three seconds from breaking down your door before I got here."

"Blackjack?" I tilted my head up, finally noticing my loyal friend neighing behind Paul.

Hello, boss! The pegasus' voice spoke in my mind in greeting. We're not bothering your beauty sleep, are we?

I rolled my eyes. "Not you too. Also, don't call me boss."

Whatever you say, boss. You're the woman. You're my number one. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and tried not to let the pegasus read my thoughts. That's the problem with being Poseidon's daughter; since he created horses out of sea foam (makes sense I guess), I can understand most equestrian animals, but they can understand me too. Sometimes, like in Blackjack's case, they kind of adopt me.

See, Blackjack had been a captive on board Luke's ship last summer, until we'd caused a little distraction that allowed him to escape. I'd really had very little to do with it, seriously, but Blackjack credited me with saving him.

"Blackjack," I said, taking a deep breath. "You're supposed to stay in the stables."

Meh, the stables. You see Chiron staying in the stables?

"Well… no."

Exactly. Listen, we got another little sea friend that needs your help.

"Again?!" I blanched.

Yeah, I told the hippocampi I'd come get you.

I groaned, resisting the urge to facepalm. Anytime I was anywhere near the beach, the hippocampi would ask me to help them with their problems. And they had a lot of problems. Beached whales, porpoises caught in fishing nets, both of which were valid reasons, and then random stuff like mermaids with hangnails… you get the point. They'd call me to come underwater and help.

I turned to Paul, who was leaning against the wall. "Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I've got something to take care of."

"Perks of being a child of Poseidon eh?" Paul nodded. "Go ahead, don't let me stop you. But uh, don't take too long."

You mean, you aren't going? Blackjack interjected, making Paul pause.

The older demigod sighed. "Blackjack, you really can't be spilling secrets like that."

"Wait a minute," I gaped as Paul side-eyed me sheepishly. "You can understand him too?!"

"Uh, yeah," Paul chuckled. "Let's just say, we both surprised each other. Now Blackjack, do me a favor and shut your mouth."

You ain't my boss, Paul. You don't get to tell me what to do.

"If you do, I'll get you a box of powdered donuts. A dozen."

… Fine … Deal

"Excuse me," I put my hands on my hips, and glared at Paul. "Something you aren't telling me here? Like, the fact you are a son of Poseidon? And therefore my brother, or something?"

"I suppose it's only right that you get to know first." Paul shrugged. "To basically confirm it, yes, I am a son of Poseidon. Yes, I can speak to horses. And yes, I can do everything you can but better."

I was flabbergasted. Shocked. In awe? I mean, just a few hours ago, I witnessed him throwing up an ice wall without even the slightest bit of exertion. Wait, could I control ice?

"Look, I'm sure you've got tons of things on your mind, but it'll be easier to talk after we get everything out of the way."

"Uh huh. You have no idea."

"I have a pretty good idea."

Look, I know you just discovered something amazing, but could we get back to the hippocampi. They're definitely panicking at this point.

"What he said," Paul said, nodding to Blackjack. "Anyways, Atti, a spot opened up on the quest for you too. You still down?"

"Stop it." I said.

"Stop what?"

"Just stop."

"Okay." Paul said, bemused.

I clenched my fists and mimed screaming, before stomping back into my cabin. He keeps dropping news on me while I'm half-asleep… And on top of that I still had my dream to think about…

"You think she's okay?" I heard Paul ask Blackjack.

Boss probably isn't happy we woke her up.

"That's probably it."

"I can still hear you!" I yelled across the cabin as I packed up my traveling bag. Thankfully, I didn't ever need much, and had plenty of leftover ambrosia and cash from the Westover mission. Riptide was in my pocket, and though usually I had Tyson's gift on my wrist, I could only glance at the shield sadly as it hung dented on my wall. I'd get Tyson to fix it next time he visited, but it hurt that I couldn't bring it with me until he did.

"Took you long enough," Paul snickered when I finally shut the cabin door behind me.

"The urge to punch you never goes away, have I ever told you that?" I gave him my sweetest sinister smile. "I hope you know that."

Boss, you ready?

"Yeah." I checked my pockets again, even though it was impossible to lose Riptide. Still, the familiar feeling of my sword in hand helped me relax. "Let's go."

{o0o}

Blackjack gave us a ride down the beach, and I have to admit it was cool. Being on a flying horse, skimming over the waves at a hundred miles an hour with the wind in your hair and the sea spray in your face – hey, it beats waterskiing any day.

Here. Blackjack slowed and hovered above the sea, flying in place. Straight down.

"Thanks Blackjack," Paul said, before comically sliding off the pegasus' back and into the sea. I joined him, and both of us began our descent down. Twenty, thirty, then forty feet down. The pressure wasn't uncomfortable. Being children of Poseidon, any risks a normal human had going into the ocean didn't exist. We could breathe underwater, adjust the currents to aid us when moving, stay warm despite the deeper we dive and see clearly as well. It was honestly one of the coolest things about being a child of the sea.

You ever limit test your abilities? Paul asked in my head, startling me.

Wait, we can talk telepathically? I asked.

Uh, apparently. Paul shrugged. I thought about it, and I guess you heard my question. But yeah. I guess this makes communication between you and I much easier.

Cool. I muttered.

Seriously cool. Paul smirked. Back to my original question. You ever see how far you can go?

I mean, I hadn't really had time to try. I admitted.

When you have time, try it. Your powers aren't just there for combat purposes. You'd be surprised how much you can discover if you try experimenting with your abilities every now and then.

Like how you do it?

Yeah, like how I do it. And more. Who knows, you might discover more than I have someday.

Our conversation paused as we finally spotted the hippocampi that called for my aid. Turns out, there were three of them, swimming agitatedly around an overturned boat. Upon closer inspection, the source for their agitation belonged to a dark shape – some kind of animal – was wedged halfway under the boat and tangled in a fishing net, one of those big nets they use on trawlers to catch everything at once. I hated those things. It was bad enough they drowned porpoises and dolphins, but they also occasionally caught mythological animals. When the nets got tangled, lazy fishermen would just cut them loose and let the trapped animals die.

Apparently this poor creature had been mucking around on the bottom of Long Island Sound and had somehow gotten itself tangled in the net of this sunken fishing boat. It had tried to get out and managed to get even more hopelessly stuck, shifting the boat in the process. Now the wreckage of the hull, which was resting against a big rock, was teetering and threatening to collapse on top of the tangled animal.

Free it, lords! The hippocampi called out as we treaded water towards them.

Paul, do you have any idea what that is? I asked.

Uh yeah. Buuuut I dunno whether to tell you or not. He replied hesitantly. He was hiding something again.

What do you mean "you dunno whether to tell me or not?"

I heard him sigh in my head. The information is classified, Atalanta. If I tell you, you're only gonna be more suspicious of me.

I shook my head. You saying that is gonna make me suspicious of you regardless. Stop being so questionable. So what is it? Spill.

Paul visibly took a deep breath underwater, which made me wonder if he inhaled any seawater in the process. This is the Ophiotaurus. Put simply, this is the beast Artemis was hunting.

I looked at him dumbly, completely expecting him to be joking, but after a few seconds of receiving his stony stare back, I realized he was serious. Wait. REALLY?

Uh huh.

No way. I looked at the creature again, and scooted closer. This cute thing?

"Mooooo!" I did a double take. What I saw in front of my eyes shouldn't exist. I mean, it shouldn't exist normally. The creature was a cow, at least, the front half of it. It was a calf – a baby, with black fur and big, sad brown eyes and a white muzzle – and the back half was that of a serpent's – a black-and-brown snaky tail with fins running down from the top to the bottom, like an enormous eel.

"Whoa, little one," I reached for its head gently. "Where did you come from?"

The creature looked at me sadly. "Mooooo!"

This is it. This guy?

Uh huh. Paul deadpanned.

Say uh huh one more time. I raised my fist, which only seemed to stress the sea-cow creature more.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay," I murmured, petting the creature's head. "It's okay. Ignore the big meanie hovering over there."

We don't know what it is, lord, one of the hippocampus said. Many strange things are stirring.

"Yeah," I mused. "So I've heard."

I uncapped Riptide, and the sword grew to full length in my hands, its bronze blade gleaming in the dark.

The cow serpent freaked out and started struggling against the net, its eyes full of terror. It thrashed around and got even more tangled. The only reason that the boat didn't completely collapse on it was because of Paul, who finally decided to help by lifting the boat away with the aid of the sea.

I know your intentions, but sheathe your blade. You asked how the Ophiotaurus could possibly be the beast. That's the thing. It in itself is not dangerous. But its entrails are. Long story short, if you sacrifice this creature, you are gifted the ability to take down the gods. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing has got "Run away" coded somewhere in its genes. Paul explained.

Thanks, I nodded. Now, the annoying part.

Yes, the annoying part. Paul's gaze glimmered with amusement. But don't worry. Two pairs of hands work better than one, no?

He was right. Of course, untangling the net was frustrating, having to do it section by section, getting lead weights and fishing hooks straightened out, yanking out knots around the cow serpent's hooves. It was like untangling the knots my earbuds made sometimes, but ten times worse. Thankfully, with Paul's company, it made the whole process much less painful.

That and the fact that Bessie, the name I thought of for the sea cow, continued to encourage my efforts with lots of helpful moos.

So, I guess Luke's on the hunt for her too, right? I asked to distract myself from my blistering hands.

I would assume so. Paul replied. Luke's your enemy, right?

I had a hunch he already knew, but didn't bother prying further. Yeah. He betrayed the camp a few summers ago for the Titans.

Sounds a lot like someone I used to know. Paul said dryly.

Do you know how the… uh Bessie ended up here instead of where Artemis went? I'd imagine the goddess of the Hunt wouldn't lose track of her targets so easily. I asked.

Like I said, the Ophio- I mean, Bessie is probably used to running away from people that hunt her. You saw her reaction to when you busted out your sword. She freaked instantly, even though you were here to help. It's in her instincts to be elusive, especially to people who are working to find her. In a way, she's like those forbidden jewels or the Fountain of Life in the myths. Like, you can only find them if you intend not to use them, you know?

I nodded, unlatching another lead weight. You know, Paul, sometimes I feel like I've known you all my life. But I'm sure I've never met you before. Yet, there's something that feels so familiar…

I'm gonna halt you right there, Paul glanced up at me, his sea-green gaze warm yet cold at the same time. I know you're curious, maybe even attempting to hypothesize who I am. Believe me when I say you won't find it unless I tell you. It's hard for me to believe it myself.

You know that telling me not to do something means I'm gonna do it even more, right? I replied.

Paul smirked. Of course. But the more you can't reach a conclusion, the more annoyed you're gonna get.

I hate that you're right. It's like you can read my mind. I huffed.

Anyways, I'll tell you when the time is right. Paul sighed. You of all people deserve to know the most. So just know, when the time comes, I'll let you know. In the meantime, think of me as your older brother.

I raised an eyebrow at him. Uh huh.

Uh huh to you too. He laughed.

When we finally finished, Bessie zipped through the water to celebrate her freedom and did a happy somersault. The hippocampi whinnied with joy.

"Mooo!" The cow serpent nuzzled me and gave me big brown eyes, before swimming off to playfully dunk Paul on the head.

"Yeah," I said, smiling uncontrollably despite how much my hands ached. "Glad to be of help. Nice to meet you, Bessie. And… stay out of trouble from now on, okay?" I stood up and swam up next to Paul.

Ready to go? Paul asked, gesturing up.

Will Bessie be okay? I asked.

Paul nodded. She's a free spirit. Knowing her, she will evade capture so long as she doesn't run into more fishing boats. Plus, I gave her Poseidon's blessing, just in case.

Poseidon's blessing?

It's a temporary shield using the god's aura. Paul explained. It offers protection to whatever it is applied to so long as they stay within a naturally formed body of water. Even better if it's the ocean.

Yeah, but don't you have to be our Dad to do that? I asked curiously.

Not with me you don't, Paul chuckled as he began his ascent.

That doesn't answer anything! I groaned indignantly.

Paul shrugged. It's a bubble shield, so to speak. If something tries to harm her, I'll know.

Uh huh.

Hey, that's my thing!

Well, I'm taking it. I smirked. It's a simple easy answer for plenty of questions I don't wanna elaborate on.

We shot to the surface the rest of the way and broke through. Immediately, Blackjack was there to pick us up. He lifted me into the air as Paul followed close behind, gliding on the surface of the sea. Which was sick, by the way. But I didn't have the energy to discuss it.

Success, boss?

"Yeah," I muttered. "We rescued uhh… a seal or something like that. Took forever. My hands hurt, and I want to sleep."

Atti, you can still hear me, right? Paul's voice said in my mind. I sent him a mental image of me nodding and he continued. Go get yourself some rest. I'm gonna go get us donuts, including the horse. Do me a favor and ask him what he wants.

I did and relayed the message back. Normal Krispy Kremes. He said a dozen.

Greedy horse, Paul chuckled. Got it.

Drop me back at the cabins. I yawned at Blackjack.

Sure thing, Boss. The pegasus neighed.

Somehow, I was clear of dreams for the rest of the morning.

{o0o}

Percy (Paul) POV:

While Blackjack continued on back to the cabin, I vapor traveled into New York, locating the nearest open Krispy Kremes and ordering two dozen glazed donuts, one box for me and Atti, and one for the winged horse. The moment I got my order, I flew back to camp, already snacking on my second donut when I found out just how hungry I really was.

Turns out that I had severely underestimated the effort required in freeing Bessie again.

I flew straight to the stables to find Blackjack waiting for me patiently, and just opened the box of donuts right in front of him, watching the pegasus chow down on the sweet treats. He finished them mighty fast, burped, thanked me and fell asleep for a quick power nap. I took the empty donut box and recycled it like a responsible person, before heading towards the dining pavilion, making sure to sit at the Artemis cabin's table. I did so on purpose to catch the attention of a few passersby that I knew would make their appearance soon.

See, I told Atti that she'd be allowed to come on the quest with me, but I hadn't actually notified the other quest members about it yet.

I was four donuts in when I heard two familiar hushed voices across the yard. One, tense and strained, probably Zoe's. And the other, worried. Bianca's.

"It cannot be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled, "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"She will live," Zoe said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. In other words, she will not be coming with us. It's up to me… and thee."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe can't go, we only have five. We'll have to pick another."

"There's no time," Zoe said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately at dawn."

"Lieutenant," I spoke clearly, making my presence known. Judging from Zoe's immediate hand on her bow behind her, she had been too lost in her thoughts to feel my presence. "Surely you are not foolish enough to simply begin a quest without the proper amount of members required."

"It's you," Zoe said simply, pausing as she realized where I was sitting. "Is that…?"

"Your table? Yeah," I shrugged, gesturing to the box of donuts. "Want some?"

"No thanks."

"Your loss. Anyways, what's stopping you from asking someone else to go on the quest with us? It's not like there's a lack of volunteers, especially since Artemis is in danger."

Zoe pursed her lips. "I-I cannot explain. I just, have a sense we shouldn't pick anyone else. It would be too dangerous. They could meet an end worse than Phoebe's. I don't want another camper to be chosen as our sixth, and I don't want to risk another Hunter."

My eyes narrowed. "Why's that? The quest asks for six. If Phoebe is unavailable, we must choose another. This isn't a question about risks, Lieutenant. We're demigods. It's an occupational hazard to be involved in quests and fights for our very lives! Look, you don't want to risk another Hunter fine. But you know who is willing to come with us on this journey to save your mistress and Athena and Annabeth?"

"Who?"

"Atti," I said firmly. "Look, she already wants to be a part of the quest to save her closest friend aside from Grover. Yeah, she's kinda like Perseus in the sense that they're both impulsive cannons, but the good part is that she's a girl. Which works according to your personal repertoire."

Zoe stared me down for a few seconds. "Oh, thou are making fun of me."

"Yes. Slightly."

"Then tell her I would like her to join us," Zoe decided. "So long as she wishes to, of course."

I nodded, my job done. For a second, it looked like the huntress wanted to say more but she decided against it, and turned away. Bianca glanced at Zoe, then back at me, then glanced at the box of treats beside me.

"You sure you don't want one?" I asked, amusedly.

Bianca ran towards the table, snagged a donut, nodded a silent thanks, then caught up back with Zoe. I watched the two walk away back to the cabins, and turned towards a nearby column.

"Hey, you want one too, Nico?" I asked, eyes wide to show that I knew the young boy was there the whole time.

"How did you know I was there?" Nico asked, scampering up to me. He looked up for permission and I waved my hand, immediately summoning a donut into his hand.

"I can sense auras." I said. "The stronger your immortal parent, the stronger your aura usually. And of course, the more unique you are. I know you may not feel it, Nico, but you got a strong power inside of you somewhere. One day, it'll awaken, and you'll become the mighty superhero in that Mythomagic game of yours."

"Coolmph!" Nico smiled through his bite.

"Anyways, what's got you here out and about?" I asked, even though I knew. "It's pretty early for you."

Nico blushed. "Well, I don't sleep too well here at camp. And I was curious. I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin, got up and started following."

"You're concerned about your sister, I suppose?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking about following."

"Sorry Nico," I said, smiling gently. "But one, that's a dumb idea. And two, it's not a safe one either."

"Why?" Nico munched on his second donut defiantly. "Is it cause I'm too young?"

I nodded. "That's one reason. But another is that you have no training. You, no offense, have zero stats right now. Your sister technically doesn't either, but Zoe says she's going, so there's nothing to stop that. Nico, the world out there isn't as simple as a Mythomagic game. You remember the manticore? There's tons of monsters out there like that, some even stronger. And all of them are gonna aim to kill you first if you go."

Nico's shoulders sagged. "You're right, I guess. But... Paul, you're strong right? You'll watch over my sister. You'll protect her. Because I won't be there for her. You can do it right?"

I took a deep breath. Bianca was fated to die. Key word being "fated." What if she didn't die here? What if–

"I believe you can," Nico grabbed my hands with his sugar-dusted ones. "Promise me. Keep her safe."

I swallowed. I could feel the deja vu of my own Nico asking me the same, back when I hid under Annabeth's cap to secretly chase the Hunters myself.

"You're the Black Knight." Nico insisted, his eyes bright and wide, so different from the empty soulless gaze I stared into as he watched Will die in his arms. "You'll protect her."

I stared back, almost afraid of the words that would pass my lips. I was put in this world for a reason, right? I thought this was a prank, but no, I became the subject of the Oracle, I became Fate's puppet in this reality. What say did they have on who lived and who died?

I was here already. And one of the deaths I regretted the most was Bianca's.

A lump of hope stuck in my throat as I struggled to speak. "Yeah, Nico, I'll protect her. I swear it."

"Okay." Nico let go of my hands. "Thank you, Paul."

"Sure, lil' man." I put on my best confident smile. "I've got you."

A/N: Delivered and set. Canon Percy (Paul) remains a mystery to many. Look, making Male!Thalia's name Perseus wasn't the smartest decision I know, butttt Perseus was originally a son of Zeus. And also, I just don't like Jason as a character. Spoilers, he's not a thing in this story. But Thalia is.

Anyhow, here's the third chapter. As always, thank you for your patience and eagerness for the next ones. If I've got irl business that week, I won't publish, but I'll still be writing. Read and review, and look forward to the fourth chapter.

Peace out, you legends.

~Zayden Shade