On with chapter three! Thanks for the reviews, guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

3. My Quest Turns Into A Rescue Mission

We went back to the Big House.

I stood up, Chiron sat down in a wheelchair. I didn't think it would fit his horse half, but the wheelchair must have magic properties, because he fit right in. He sat at the table, looking up at me expectantly, ready to listen to whatever I had to say.

So I talked. I talked a lot.

And I didn't hold anything back like I did with Harper. I explained everything, no detail left out. Even the stuff that might've been unimportant, including my childhood. I recounted the whole Hera thing, Grover at the high school, the visions, Percy, Annabeth, and Harper's possible involvement, the two men on the Island, the face in the clouds, the monsters they mentioned...everything. Not one item left out.

It took a while, to the point where I lost track of time and had to look out the window to see if it had gotten dark yet. To nobody's surprise, it did. So that meant I'd been talking for at least two hours or more, and Chiron listened the entire time, not butting in. It felt more like a therapy session than anything.

By the time I stopped, I had let it all out, put all my thoughts and worries on the table. Even though my mouth had gone dry, and I was kinda out of breath from the nonstop explanations, It felt really good. Whether I got the answers I wanted or not, I was just content with releasing some of the pressure in my brain.

Chiron was in deep thought. No doubt, it would take anyone forever to analyze all of what I just said. Well, anyone who was normal, but Chiron wasn't. He's a few thousand years old at least, wise and all that, so I figured he'd be able to come up with something.

For several minutes, I let him think, just standing there catching my breath, waiting with anticipation.

Finally, he spoke. "This is all...strange. The first thing I'm puzzled about is this punishment. None of the campers, nor any demigod I know of has been punished by a god for a public monster attack. It's happened more than you think, and nobody has been forced to complete labors."

"Yeah...but I got people killed." I said, shamefully. Every time I mentioned that, I felt like crawling in a hole and never waking up. I always saw those people's faces whenever I thought of it, not even knowing their names. They had lives, long lives to live, and because some stupid demigod just got near them, that's all over. "I'd do anything to die in their stead." I said, not even meaning for that thought to come out, but I meant it.

Chiron nodded sympathetically, "I understand, my boy. But either way, even in an extreme case such as this, it hasn't happened. I would put it off as Hera simply having a grudge against your father, which is probably part of it. But this notion that she's been captured has me wondering if these labors are a ruse."

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps she's disguising a quest to rescue her as punishment. Tell me, if she asked you kindly to save her from two men that captured her on an island, would you do it?"

"You think those guys are holding her captive?"

"Just answer the question."

I thought about it, but the answer was already on the tip of my tongue. "No, probably not. Good point."

"If she needs assistance from someone who doesn't like her, she has to make it seem like it's not an option. Which...well, it actually isn't. She placed a death curse on you."

"Is it really there? Or is that a bluff?"

"Oh no, it's there. I can smell it."

"Grover said that too." I grumbled, "So I'm actually going to die in less than two weeks if I don't save her?"

He grimaced, "I'm afraid so, Matt."

I threw my hands up, "Why's she asking me? Why not get the other gods to help her?"

"That's a good question. Maybe this island, or wherever they're keeping her is blocked off from contacting the other gods. Or maybe contacting Zeus, for example, would send off too much of a signal, something these two men might be able to sense. Contacting you would've been safer."

My lips were tight, I didn't say anything.

"This is all just speculation, of course."

"I know," I said, "What about that face in the sky? What is that thing? And why do those two men want Hera, if they even have her? Who are they?"

He shook his head, "I'm afraid I don't know. I'm sorry. I can only give guesses to those matters. They might want her for ransom, in exchange for something the gods could give them, they may want to kill her, torture her, who knows? As for who they are...from what you said, they looked quite young, correct?"

"I couldn't see their faces, but yeah, they looked younger from what I can tell."

Chiron looked like he was stumped on this one. "Very curious..."

"Gods can take different forms, right? Maybe it's two evil ones, or something."

"Could be. But I can't think of anyone that would want to destroy the gods at the moment. We've sort of been through this situation before with Kronos and Gaea, but they were both defeated. But you said in your vision, you were looking at a face in the sky, so that narrows it down."

"Zeus is the sky god, but no way he'd be involved, right?"

Chiron nodded, "Very unlikely. The only other sky deities I can think of are Ouranos, a Primordial, and the four wind gods. But the wind gods aren't powerful enough to capture Hera, and Ouranos has been dead for millennia. It's possible he could have reformed though; Gaea did the same."

"So Ouranos is a suspect, for now." I noted, "And we don't know who those two guys are. That's fine. But what about Percy, Annabeth, and Harper? If Hera came to me, then why am I having visions of those three beside me?"

"Do you know for sure it's those three?"

I nodded, "I'm pretty sure. Every time I heard their names, an image of the person it belonged to flashed in my mind. Also, I saw their weapons. Harper's are to the tee, and she said Percy and Annabeth's weapons matched what I said too."

He shrugged with uncertainty, "Perhaps they are meant to aid you on this journey. I can definitely say that if you are to undertake this, you will need help."

My first instinct was the argue, the idea that this was my atonement for the things I did still reverberated in my head. But now, seeing that things aren't really what they seem...I could use the help. I've never worked with anyone else before fighting monsters, but it could be a nice change. Besides, the monsters that Hera named on the list are serious threats I've never dreamed of dealing with before.

Instead, I voiced my thoughts on the monster thing. "You think those monsters that Hera mentioned are being influenced by that guy? Like...they're going to be unleashed?"

"I think so." His tone was grim. "Hera probably knows what they're plan is, and she's inadvertently telling you to stop it."

"So it's not a simple punishment. It's a quest."

"I'm not sure. You'll have to speak to Rachel. She is our Oracle."

"Is she here?"

He shook his head, "No, but I'm going to call her after we're done here. I'll see if she can make it tomorrow to speak with you."

I sighed with relief, "Thank you. Really Chiron, thank you so much."

He didn't smile, but he did give me a reassuring nod. There was something about his eyes that held such a depth, a depth no mortal or demigod has. Like he's seen the world change in every which way imaginable. Which...he has.

"I wish I could give you all the answers you need. I'm afraid now all I can offer you is training, and a place to stay." His face brightened a shade, "We will be playing Capture the Flag tomorrow, if you don't have to leave just yet. Perhaps that could be a good way to test your skills against other demigods."

Capture the flag sounded pretty cool. I'd played it in gym class before, but I doubted this version was anything like that. "Thanks. I'll give it a shot If I don't have to leave straight away." I raised an eyebrow, "Is each cabin a team? If so, which would I be on? Hercules doesn't have a cabin here."

"Ah, yes. I am sorry, we...weren't expecting Hercules to have children in modern times. Usually there are two teams, alliances are made between the largest cabins, so it evens out. And you don't have one as you pointed out." He thought for a second, "I can just place you in one for now. Which would you prefer?"

I started to say Nemesis, but I fought it down. It would give me an opportunity to talk to Harper about some of this stuff, but that would probably be weird. Some new kid shows up and bunks in your cabin? Yeah, I wouldn't like that too much.

I ended up saying, "Is it okay If I just stay by myself?"

"Yes, I understand. You can stay in Percy's cabin then. He was usually alone in there as well, unless his half-brother Tyson visited."

I blinked, "Nico said Percy was the only son of Poseidon."

"He is the only demigod son of Poseidon. Tyson is a cyclops."

I thought about that for a few seconds, at first being creeped out by having a cyclops as your brother. I'd fought a couple of small ones that tried to kill me, and while they looked harmless, they were deathly strong. But...the thought of their being nice monsters out there kind of intrigued me. I wasn't that close minded to not think it was possible. I'd just never seen it.

Besides, if they let him stay here at Camp, Tyson had to be different than the others.

"Hey Chiron, can I ask you one more question?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"You remember that red thing I mentioned earlier? The glow that I get whenever I'm angry or backed in a corner? What is that?"

He inhaled deep through his nostrils, looking up at the ceiling. "I have an idea, although it may sound complicated."

"Hit me with it." I beckoned.

He shrugged, "Very well. I believe that is the aura from your godly DNA showing itself in a time of need. It's a defense mechanism. Quite rare, honestly, I've never seen a demigod in this era awaken it, especially at such a young age. Not even Percy did such a thing."

That wasn't the answer I expected. I was thinking it might've been my blood bursting into flames or something drastic. But it's just...life energy?

"So, you're saying that I'm emitting...chi? Or something like that?"

Chiron gave a big nod, "Exactly. That would be the Japanese word for it...for us, I think aura is a better word. It's the godly energy inside you physically manifesting itself to make you more powerful."

Such a big mystery for my whole life broke down in a single sentence. Not that I'm complaining. The way Chiron said it made perfect sense to me.

"Why does steam come off of me?"

"Lack of training." He answered quickly. He stifled a chuckle, his eyes past my figure, seeing something inside his mind. "Your father had the same problem. He too awakened it at a young age. The steam is a result from the godly aura heating your bloodstream." His expression turned serious, "Which can be dangerous if prolonged. Should you enter such a state again, do your best to end whatever fight you're in quickly. At the stage you're at, it could have very negative consequences."

My jaw dropped a little. I had no idea. "Could it kill me?"

"I've never personally seen such a thing happen, but I imagine it could. Your father was nearly burned to death in his first awakening, many of his bones broken from the sheer heat."

I shivered, "Definitely gonna be careful then."

He smiled, "Just keep ambrosia and nectar nearby. You'll be okay."

"What's nectar?" I remembered ambrosia because it healed my mom's wounds, but I'd never heard of nectar before.

"Ambrosia is the food of the gods, nectar is the drink of the gods."

I nodded, "Ah, got it." I'd have to ask for some before I left...whenever that happens. "Well, I won't bother you anymore. I really appreciate your help, Chiron."

"It was a pleasure. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask." He flinched, pointing a finger at me, "Oh, and if you wish to join Capture the Flag, just choose a team. It's about even in numbers anyway."

"I will." I backed up a few paces and turned around when I reached the door, opening it and slipping out into the night in one smooth movement.

Walking out into the night, I found the entire atmosphere very peaceful. Though the campers running around, being happy and safe from monsters certainly made my chest feel warm, the ambience of chirping crickets, the strobe of fireflies, the faint sound of lake water...hit a different chord. Living in the city, and living in constant paranoia, my mind seems to always be running in circles. It's hard to find tranquility.

But here, for the first time in a long time, I actually feel it. It reminded me of those sunset watching sessions. In a way, it felt like living in a stronghold during the apocalypse. With so much chaos in the world, monsters or not, it's nice to have these moments. And personally, it's nice to see so many avoiding a similar fate of loneliness.

Measures of time became nonexistent as I stood there and drunk it all in. It finally reached a point where I became satisfied with the taste of the feeling, and decided sleep was more important, practically. Emotionally, not so much. But a boy about to embark on a potential quest needs his sleepy time.

I cleared the path towards the Poseidon cabin, opening the wooden doors and entering.

The first thing that struck my eyes was the big marble fountain in the middle, dormant from spewing water, but not empty from it. It was actually full of the liquid, but stagnant, the mechanism left off for a month or so, probably. The next thing that my eyes trailed towards was the walls. They were ocean blue, with designs of waves and the sea all over, painted intricately. On both sides, sat beds of equal size. One for Percy and one for Tyson, I guessed.

It was nice, and rather well kept for a place that hadn't been used in a while. I'd expect cobwebs, grass and forest animals to be littered around the room, but this Percy guy must be a really big deal. Other people seem to clean his cabin even if he's not here.

Oh wait, I forgot. Harper mentioned the harpies during our little "tour." They do the cleaning. Alright, that makes sense.

Thinking of the daughter of Nemesis, I felt the urge to tell her everything Chiron and I talked about. To just come out be upfront with it. Hey, I think you, Percy, and this Annabeth girl are supposed to help me rescue a goddess. You in?

Obviously, I wasn't going to tell her now, that would be stupid. Waking anyone up during sleep is rude, but waking up Harper would probably result in a knife to the arm.

I don't want to admit it, but I'm relieved that I might get help with this whole thing. Comradery and belonging are things I've craved for years, but I barely ever think about it. I always try to push it down. But I do feel that way. I haven't even been at this place that long, but I already really like it. It's a hell of a lot better than my apartment.

But there's a separate feeling that opposes that. This is a result of my mistake, regardless of Hera's intention, that's the way I feel. Even if that three strikes stuff she pulled for all these years was part of some elaborate plan, it doesn't disregard all of the innocent lives I've indirectly taken.

Dragging someone else into this mess doesn't sit right with me. At all.

I know I might have it jumbled. Call it stupid or all in my head. Maybe it is.

Already feeling that itch on the back of my neck forming whenever I get overwhelmed, I forced those thoughts away. This isn't the time to dig into your inner psyche, you need some sleep.

I had no belongings, so I just took off my shoes and shirt and put them on the other bed. Yeah, I don't sleep with a shirt, that would be too uncomfortable. And besides, it's not like there's other campers in here.

Laying down on the bed, an involuntary groan escaped my throat. Sleep was taking over very quickly. I must've been more tired than I thought, despite not doing much today.

I closed my eyes, and within minutes, I was asleep.

Naturally, I had another vision.

In my conscious, I floated away from my spot in the cabin to the mysterious island once again. I returned to a similar spot as last time, a clearing surrounded by walls of green bushes and trees, held up by white sand.

Directly in front of me, the cloaked figure from earlier stood in front of a large cage, its contents blocked from view, but the four corners of it could be seen beside the man. It was made out of normal looking metal, but the thing that seemed to be keeping the thing inside was the poison draped on the bars. It had a purplish, bland color, emitting little wisps of steam just from its lethality.

Whatever was being kept in there started to struggle desperately, trying to use its power to shake or break the cage. It was indeed powerful, I could feel it surging, but the poison and the cage itself kept anything major from breaking.

The cloaked figure moved aside, walking around the cage in a slow circle. I saw what- no, who was inside.

It was Hera.

And a far cry from when I saw her yesterday. Her hair was messed up, her white royal dress had sand and leaves all over it, rips in several places, and to my surprise, she was bleeding golden ichor all over her body. I could've sworn I even saw a needle mark on her arm too. Very odd.

I'd read about the blood gods have, and how it's gold. But to be honest, I never believed it. It just sounded too weird and goofy. Boy was I wrong.

"Queen Hera," The figure said, "How does it feel to be able to contribute to the new age?"

She glared at him, "You will not succeed. The gods will-"

"-Not come for you." The figure cut her off, "This island is cut off from reality. The Titan Lord Kronos himself placed this curse here a few years ago. This place is inaccessible by anyone, including gods. So you're quite alone and completely at our mercy."

"This island is an absolute monstrosity, the things that happened here, the things the Titan Lord made them do...how can you even stand to be here? You're a half blood, just like they were!"

This is where the figure stopped walking, and abruptly so. He snapped his head toward Hera, his hood almost falling off his head. Such a movement allowed me to see a fraction of his face. Just from the chin to the upper lip. So basically, his mouth. But I found something rather interesting. Next to his lips...there were these small marks. Scars, about the size of mine, parallel to each other.

This vision had only lasted a few seconds, yet it was already so informative. I found out Hera has indeed been kidnapped, the Cloaked figure is a demigod, and he's most likely only a few years older than me, based on his skin. No wrinkles, and the lightest shade of stubble.

He answered her statement with a cold, grinding tone. "I stand here because my lord intended it. And I had nothing to do with that...operation. I was not one of those trapped here. That was a different war, and a lost one. The titans lost to Percy Jackson, those pathetic demigods at Camp Half-Blood, and the Roman idiots at Camp Jupiter. Things will be different this time. We are not the titans, we are better."

"You won't win." Hera recoiled, "I have a-"

"Plan? Yes, blah, blah, blah. We know all about the son of Hercules, who is taking his sweet time at Camp trying to make sense of said ridiculous plan." I could see his mouth curl up under the hood, "I mean, how stupid could you be to recruit the son of the one you hate the most?"

Hera smirked; ichor glimmered on her lip. "Oh, he's far from the top of those I hate the most. His father may have been a thorn in my side, and perhaps the boy will prove no different, but for now, I am taking a gamble."

The man's face turned even more sickly, surprised, he said, "Wait, you mean-"

"I am impressed at your cleverness, Hera." Said a familiar voice. I saw behind the man in the cloak, the shirtless guy from the second vision, but this time facing me, giving a proper view of his face. He was flawlessly handsome in almost every way. Smooth blonde hair that parted in the middle and fell to either side of his face, a ripped, lean frame, no marks, scars, or even the slightest blemish on his skin, and a face that with any expression, could probably make most girls go head over heels for him. But right now, he held a sadistic sneer. Basically, he looked like an evil surfer.

As he walked up and stopped next to the cloaked figure, I noticed he was a bit shorter and less bulky, but seemed to be the one in charge. It confused me. You could probably find this guy in a Los Angeles modeling studio. He would be the last person I'd expect hatching schemes against the gods.

"I am not scared of the son of Hercules," He continued, "However, I won't underestimate him. I'll give him some credit. He may have defeated the Nemean Lion, he may defeat the Hydra, he just might capture the bull and the deer, but the guardian of Hades's palace? Very unlikely. Unless of course he unites the other three...but even so, they'll have to meet me at the end of the day. That won't go so well for them, especially with this form."

The way he talked reminded me of an ancient, over the top actor, playing a villain in an epic. It didn't match his twenty-year-old appearance. Could this be an evil god taking the shape of a human?

"You remember me, Hera." He greeted, smiling down at her. "I'm Malachi Stallard, the new Bane of Olympus."

Hera sunk back at the sight of him, but gritted her teeth like a snarling animal. "You caught me off guard. I won't be held here forever!"

"Excuses, excuses." He groaned, then turned to the cloaked man, rolling his eyes dramatically. "This is where most of that ichor came from? I would've preferred one of the Big Three."

The cloaked man's tone was careful when speaking to Malachi, a slight tremble underneath his words. It clearly told me the pecking order, despite the intimidating difference in size. "We're not quite ready for that, my lord. But in time, we will be, I'm sure of it."

Malachi nodded, kneeling down to look at Hera in the eyes.

"By the time I'm through, all gods will fall. Olympus will fall." He chuckled, "Don't be shy, my Queen. Gods can pray too. Do your best."

She lunged at him, trying to grab his neck through the bars, but Malachi backed up casually, letting Hera fall against the poison soaked into the metal. It touched her wounds and she reacted immediately, falling back and screaming in pain.

"You can't fool me...I know who truly lives inside of that body," She groaned, "You can break free, Malachi! He doesn't have control over you!"

Her attempt at whatever she meant fell on deaf ears. The cloaked man looked at Malachi.

"What now, my lord?"

"Patience," Malachi said, "You still have a large part to play. I won't take all of the spotlight. Let the other three know that things will be into motion shortly. As for now, we wait. We let our monsters do their part, and see if this son of Hercules has the grit Hera believes."

The man nodded and strode off towards the beach, leaving Malachi alone with Hera. He smirked at her.

"Let's see if the big hero comes to save you, granddaughter." He started laughing maniacally, a gust of wind flew sand in my line of sight, and I woke up with a start.

I was breathing heavily, trying to process all I saw and heard. That might've been the most informative vision yet.

Sitting there, I calmed myself and went down the list. First things first, Hera has actually been captured, and her whole labors thing was a disguise for me to rescue her. These monsters she told me to go after are being controlled by this Malachi guy. Malachi called her granddaughter, which means he's an old god in human form. They know about me and my progress so far, so they can basically see my every move. Malachi mentioned the other three when talking about capturing Cerberus, so that sort of confirms that Harper, Percy, and Annabeth are supposed to help me.

Those are the big things off the top of my head, but there was also some little stuff that bugged me and remained vague. Hera said something about Malachi breaking free, so maybe I'm wrong about him being a god's form. Maybe he's actually a possessed human. And that island...I still have no idea where it could be.

I also don't even know where to start in looking for these monsters. Am I just supposed to wait until they come to me? Use my weird sensing thing to find them? It's all so clunky and overwhelming that I don't even really know where to begin. I half wish they were all just in front of me and I could go at them. That's what I know best. I'm not a master strategist.

I looked over and saw light cracking through the cabin door. It was morning, and today was Capture the Flag day. But also, and more importantly, I might get a chance to talk to this Rachel girl.

I couldn't bring myself to be excited, that vision was just way too much. I needed to tell someone about the new info before I forgot. Hopefully Rachel and Chiron are already waiting for me.

Right as my foot touched the floor, I heard a knock. I was hoping my thoughts had been heard and it was Chiron coming to get me, but that hope went away as I heard Grover's voice. "Hey, Matt! Chiron told me you were staying in Percy's cabin. Can I come in?"

"Sure!" I called, reaching over and quickly throwing on my shirt.

He opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him. In his right hand, he held an orange camp t-shirt, and in his left...the pelt of the Nemean Lion! Or what I guessed to be the pelt of the Nemean Lion. To me, it looked like the size of a regular lion's, maybe as big as a jacket, but not in the form of one. Here, it was an actual flat pelt. Maybe I'm wrong to assume, but I doubt Grover just went hunting in Africa and decided to kill and skin a lion to bring the hide as a gift.

"How did you-" I started, but Grover cut me off with a goat bleat.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging like that! I was about to teleport through the tree, when this nature spirit came up to me and said they had spotted a lion pelt hanging from a tree. So I looked around and found it! I guess you must've missed it, and it reappeared!"

I doubted that. I knew for a fact that the lion didn't leave a spoil of war. No, it came magically. Someone put it there, probably Hera if I had to guess.

I didn't care too much about how it got here. I grabbed the pelt and held it, it was like holding iron as a fabric, it was probably heavy for a normal person, but I didn't notice.

"Wow, thanks man. Uh, what's the shirt for?"

He beamed and held it up, "Well, your other one isn't exactly in the best shape." No kidding. It had holes riddled all over it where there wasn't dirt. "Besides, you're a camper now! You gotta represent!"

I smiled and took that as well, putting down the pelt on my bed. I didn't think Grover cared if I changed or not, so I threw off my old shirt and replaced it with the camp's. It fit perfectly.

"Thanks, Grover. I wasn't mad at you for not showing up by the way, I was just worried some monster had gotten you."

"Oh no, the forest is my domain. Any monster would be stupid to tussle with me in my turf."

"I don't doubt it."

His smile turned sly, and he clapped me on the shoulder, "Someone's interested in you, by the way."

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled, "Harper, man, she was asking about you. Wanted to know where I had found you at and stuff."

Harper asked about my past? That's weird. She seemed pretty disinterested with everything except my necklace. That took her by surprise, for some reason.

"What did you tell her?"

"Relax, I only told her I found you at the high school and escorted you to camp. Nothing about your personal life."

"Oh, okay."

The slyness came back, "I didn't tell her, because I figured you wanted to. You interested in anything like that?"

I deadpanned at him. "It's not like that. You know my situation, I can't get close to anyone."

He nodded knowingly, "Yeah, I get it. But hey, that's one thing you two have in common. Ever since she showed up four years ago, she's always kept to herself. And the times she tried to make friends...well, it didn't go so well. They weren't keen on being seen with a daughter of Nemesis."

"That's not her fault. Besides, what's the deal with Nemesis anyway? Was she evil?"

He bobbed his head in a sort of way. "She briefly fought on the Titan's side in the second war. But still, that's her, not her daughter. No reason to be mean to anybody."

Well, that answered a little bit of my curiosity. But I figured it went deeper than simply being excluded by the campers. There was something else going on with Harper that made her tick.

He sighed, "All I'm saying is, I've never seen her even look at anybody twice, let alone ask about them. I'd jump on it."

I changed the subject, not wanting to read too much into it. "Hey Grover, is that death smell still on me?"

He sniffed in my area, and jumped back when he caught a whiff. "Yeah, and it's horrible! I think it's gotten even stronger!"

Getting stronger. That meant it was becoming more potent as the days passed. What did Hera say? Two weeks? And it's the third day, I'm pretty sure. Time was running out. As much as I liked it here, I couldn't stay. I needed to move out by tomorrow morning as early as possible.

Grover recovered from my death stench, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, by the way, Chiron said to tell you that Rachel's here. She's ready to see you."

I nodded, laid the pelt on my bed and put my shoes on. "Good. I'll go immediately."

Not meaning to be rude, I waved at Grover as I left the cabin, and he waved back, wishing me luck. I felt like a swathe of birds had entered my chest from the nervousness. What would the prophecy say? I knew enough about them to know that they don't give everything away, but the details they provide can be pretty scary.

But still, the pros outweigh the cons. It might give me some clue as to where to start, where the monsters might be located, and more importantly, this island I keep seeing.

As I walked into the main area of Camp, the sun hit my skin. I'm a guy that normally prefers the coolness of fall over the heat of summer, but right now, I enjoyed the sun's rays of light. That vision had given me a chill, and this heat offered a small sense of relief.

But while my eyes were closed, I must've veered off track, because I accidentally bumped into someone.

Instantly, before I even saw the person, I offered an apology, "Oh! Sorry about that-"

I hadn't even turned around when the person pushed me on the chest, making me step back a few paces. "Watch where you're going, dumbass!"

My vision cleared from the sunlight, and I saw who had taken the attitude. Standing in front of me, was some guy with red, curly hair putting on a tough face. He had an athletic build, and wore the camp t-shirt, along with khakis. He wasn't bad looking, he might've been the captain of a baseball team in another life, but here, he was just a jerk. Behind him, stood three other guys, each one bigger, beefier, and uglier than himself. They all glared at me.

Oh okay, I see what's going on here.

I fought down the urge to tell him off. Instead, opting for a small, forced smile. "My bad, dude. I'll just keep walking."

He pushed me again, which sent jolts of annoyance down my spine. "Yeah, you'd better keep walking, newbie. Unless you wanna find out who runs this camp the hard way."

His goons chuckled stupidly behind him, nodding at each other triumphantly.

I nearly laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. "Okay, let's not reenact every high school movie here, alright? I made a mistake, I apologized, so let's move on. Sound good?"

His freckles moved when he smirked, crossing his arms. "I guess I can let it slide. But don't let it happen again, or I'll kick your ass."

Wow, this guy was a real charm. I didn't think bullies could get this stereotypical. I snorted, "Sure."

He flicked his hand, "Run along now, little bitch." The three stooges guffawed in laughter, loving every second of it. I backed up before turning around, and stole a glance behind me to watch the entire team hound a smaller kid just minding his own business, pushing him into the grass and laughing their heads off about it.

That pissed me off on so many levels. Obviously, because I don't like bullies. But on a deeper level, that sort of cracks the idea I'd built in my head about this being the perfect place. The fact that jerks like that live here ruins the entire image and purpose. This is supposed to be a place where kids can be safe from monsters, yet they have to live with assholes like that? It's completely unfair.

I didn't let it get to me too much, or I wouldn't get to see Rachel at all. I steeled myself and walked right up to the Big House.

Upon entering, Chiron greeted me, sitting down in his magical wheelchair. Sitting beside him with her legs under a table, was who I guessed to be Rachel. It...took me by surprise, because I was expecting the oracle to be far older than a teenage girl. From what I'd read about, the Oracle was this shriveled up ghoul that spewed green fire whenever giving a prophecy. But Rachel was pretty. Red hair, slightly curled and falling all around like little strands of fire over her lithe arms, a shorter, rounder face with freckles all over it, kind of like the jerk I bumped into, only these were patterned in almost an artistic way. Like constellations.

When the door creaked, both pairs of eyes, Chiron's brown and Rachel's green, turned to me.

"Uh...hey." I said, awkwardly.

Chiron motioned for me to come closer, "Come in, Matt, come in. Close the door behind you, please."

I did and walked over to where they sat, wiping nonexistent hand sweat off on my pants. Once at the table, Chiron waved his hand at Rachel, presenting her like a statue.

"Matt, this is Rachel Dare. Also known as the Oracle of Delphi."

She smiled at me, "Hi, Matt. Chiron's told me a lot about you."

I returned her greeting with a nervous nod, trying my best to not look her in the eye, just under the stupid pretense that if I did for too long, I might see another crazy vision.

Instead of doing the normal thing, like saying nice to meet you, my idiot mouth blurted, "I didn't know the Oracle was so young."

My ears got hot from embarrassment, but Rachel only giggled lightheartedly.

Chiron explained, "Well, our former Oracle was very old, appearing as a ghoulish figure...which is tied to a long story that we won't touch upon. But long story short, that figure's abilities were transferred into Miss Dare here a little over two years ago, give or take."

Rachel shrugged, "I'm still sort of new to the job. But don't worry, I won't malfunction or anything."

She said it like she was a robot or something. "Oh well...that's good."

"I know you're nervous, Matt," Chiron said, "But Rachel here is going to help you understand your mission a little better. Hopefully, we can gather some insight on what's going on. What fate has planned for you."

I took in a deep breath, "Alright, what do I need to do?"

"The process is pretty random," Rachel elaborated, "I can say a prophecy at any time, to be honest. And usually, it applies to a bigger situation, like a war or something that could happen decades down the road. Your situation is a bit more personal. So maybe..."

She stared at me for a second, then her eyes fell to my hand. An invisible lightbulb went off above her head.

"I've got an idea. Here, Matt, give me your hand."

I slowly put it out in between us. "Okay, here."

As soon as our hands met, her grip tightened and she squeezed it, to the point where it actually managed to start hurting. I tried to pull away, but Rachel held on, not letting me escape.

Chiron flinched in his chair, "It's happening, prepare yourself!"

I didn't know what he meant until I glanced up at Rachel's face. My jaw dropped in horror. Her eyes had started glowing a bright, sickly green, her mouth open, emitting the same color, and even smoke. She transformed into a normal looking girl to a creepy oracle incredibly fast.

But as quick as it came, it was gone. Just as Rachel's mouth began to move, the green glow went away and her grip softened. It was over, and I didn't even hear a single piece of information.

Rachel herself looked confused, and unphased by what just happened. That right there told me this wasn't her first rodeo.

"Huh? Why didn't it work? I was feeling it coming on, but it just...stopped."

My eyes darted back and forth between our hands and Chiron, who had a thick eyebrow raised. "Did I do something wrong?"

Rachel shook her head, "No! No, it was going fine! But it was like something...blocked it off. I felt this weird resistance against my mind."

We let go of each other and both looked to Chiron at the same time, rather comically.

Chiron leaned back in his chair, letting out a confused puff of breath. "This is quite the turn of events. I've never seen such a thing happen. For an external force to block a prophecy...this must be a powerful force we're dealing with."

"So wait, there was a prophecy?" I asked, just throwing it out in the air for anyone to answer. "Like, I was about to get one, but something kept me from hearing it?"

"Yeah." Rachel said, "Sorry to be anticlimactic. Chiron, I know you mentioned two dudes on an island, but maybe there's some sort of...I don't know, a really dangerous god behind this?"

"I have a few ideas." Chiron muttered.

"Which may need to be updated." I announced, "I sort of had another vision last night."

Chiron sat upright, "Go on."

I got him up to speed on the most recent vision. During the entire process, out of body, I felt a tiny sense of pride at myself. I'm getting better at explaining this sort of stuff. Who knew talking about weird islands and captured goddesses could prove better than speech class?

When I finished, Chiron clasped his hands together. "So he called Hera his granddaughter? Only one person can say that. Ouranos. The Primordial of the sky."

"Why is he taking the shape of a teenager then?"

"Gods can take the form of whatever they want. But that doesn't necessarily mean that's what's happening. Your theory on possession could be correct. And as for this cloaked figure, well, we don't know his identity, but we know he works for Ouranos. That's all that matters. They've kidnapped Hera, so whether you have a prophecy or not, you need to take on this quest."

"Not trying to be rude, but I gotta ask, why me?"

"It does seem weird that Hera would ask the son of Hercules to rescue her." Rachel said.

"She hates me," I agreed, "She hasn't exactly been nice to me either. It's a whole thing." I waved my hands around, "What I'm wondering, is why not the gods? Why not Zeus? Isn't that her husband?"

"But perhaps she sees your potential." Chiron argued. "She knows your strength. And we don't exactly know her position. She might be in a difficult situation, one that keeps her from contacting the gods. You said the island was blocked off from reality, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah, that's what they said. But couldn't that be a bluff?"

"It could. But regardless, she called out to you. This is now a matter of fate."

I wanted to kick back at this, argue that this is stupid. I'm being forced to rescue the goddess that made my best friend forget me, placed a literal death curse on me, so on and so forth. But then again, my mind counters with sooner or later, something like this was bound to happen. You let up for one second, and you slipped. You got people killed. You need a way to answer for what you've done.

Maybe this is that way.

"Okay," I said, "I'll do it. I can do it on my own."

Chiron let out a noise of protest, "I'm afraid not, my boy. Undertaking such a task requires help. And normally, three people is the limit for a quest...but if you've been seeing visions of who you perceive to be Harper, Percy, and Annabeth...that is a matter of fate as well."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt. You have to understand that, sir. Nobody needs to put their life on the line for something sent to me. What happened to my mom-" I stopped myself, diverting my stare to the table.

The silence was deafening. I knew Rachel and Chiron were staring at me, Rachel in an awkward way, probably feeling like an intruder. I couldn't blame her. Here I am letting the carefully crafted exterior fall for the world to see.

"Matt, you have nothing to fear. I couldn't think of two better candidates for any quest in the world than Percy and Annabeth. And Harper...well, she's only fifteen, but she's a magnificent fighter. You'll be in good hands."

I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dread.

Rachel got out of her chair, looking guilty and apologetic. "I'm sorry I couldn't help. I wish there was something else I could do."

"It's okay." I said, "I just hate you had to come all the way down here for nothing."

She rasberried, "Just working on a little art project, that's all. It was my pleasure."

"Thank you, Miss Dare." Chiron said, "You can leave now."

"Okay," She waved at both of us, "See you, Chiron! Nice to meet you, Matt!"

I let her walk out of the Big House before I spoke again.

"What do I do now, Chiron?" It was a helpless request. I couldn't help it. I could take on as many monsters as needed, but actively seeking them? Going on a quest that's over my head? It's all new to me.

And he knew that I was struggling. "Wait for Percy and Annabeth to arrive. Talk to Harper about this. Use your sensing abilities to see if you can locate any of the monsters. It's going to be difficult, and I know that's not much to go with, but it's a start."

I forced a grateful nod, "Thanks, Chiron. I'm gonna go get ready for Capture the Flag."

Whatever response he gave didn't reach me. I was already out of the Big House, completely out of it, ignoring my surroundings. I kept thinking about that name...Ouranos. A Primordial. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that meant serious business.

My legs took me across the yard and over to the far end of the line of cabins. Percy and Annabeth weren't here yet, so there was only one other person I could really talk to, or attempt to talk to, about this thing.

It took me a minute to guess which cabin belonged to Nemesis. Sure, some of the cabins were obvious like Zeus, Ares, or Poseidon's, but once you narrow it down, the others start to have a similar pattern. I finally landed on one painted black with a crescent moon design over the door. Nemesis's symbol was a crescent moon from what I remember.

Doesn't matter. If it's the wrong cabin I'll just apologize and try another. Or I could look in any of the activity buildings. In fact, that's where I should check first. It's stupid of me to even think she'd be in her cabin when everyone's day is getting started.

Too late, I already knocked on the door. To my surprise, it opened with the force of my knock, not closed at all. With a creak, it revealed a dark, plain room with four beds, matching nightstands by their side. They all looked the same.

"Uh...hello? Anybody here?" I called.

"Yo." A voice said.

I stepped into the cabin and looked toward the direction of the voice. When I did, I saw a boy sitting on his bed, sharpening his sword. I wasn't too weirded out by this. Just a kid sitting in the dark, sharpening a deadly weapon, no big deal.

He looked maybe thirteen years old. Skinny, with pale skin a lot like Harper's, which makes sense considering they're half-siblings. Unless...this kid snuck in here, but I doubt that. He kind of looked like Nico, except he wasn't as tall and had shorter, neater hair.

The kid was by himself. No Harper.

"Oh, uh, sorry to bother you. Do you know where I can find Harper?"

He looked up at me. He had brown eyes, like mine, and unlike Harper's icy blue. He studied me for a second, then snorted. "Someone's looking for Harper? What, you wanna pick on her again? You know what happened last time."

I scrunched my face up in confusion. What was this kid's deal?

"You wanna make fun of her? Wanna try your luck? Be my guest, man. She'll break your freaking arm." He smiled sarcastically.

"Look, dude. I don't know what the problem is, but I'm not here to make fun of her or any of that stuff. I just want to talk. No arms need to be broken."

His sarcasm melted. He straightened and sat his sword on the bed, "Wait, you're not here to mess with her?"

"Of course not."

"Oh, well that's different. I thought you were one of Jett's new lackies or something."

"Jett? Who the hell is-" I faltered, the image of the red headed jerk that I accidentally bumped into coming to mind, "Wait, does Jett have red hair? Freckles? Big doofuses that follow him around?"

The kid nodded, "That's him. You've met?"

"Yeah. Nice guy."

He chuckled, "Sorry for being rude. I'm Aiden. What did you need with Harper? And if you don't mind me asking...how did you even talk to her? She barely talks to anybody. Hell, she barely talks to me, and I'm her half-brother!"

I shrugged, "Sort of an accident. She tackled me when I got here, it was a big misunderstanding. The thing is, I sort of have this quest that I think she's involved in. I need to update her on it."

"A quest?" He nodded, impressed, "Nice, dude. You just got here?"

I nodded.

"Damn. You must be the real deal."

"Nah, it's nothing like that. I'm just unlucky. So, you know where she is?"

He pointed past me towards the door, "She said something about training early. Try the arena."

"Thanks." Before I could clear the door, I stopped myself. Something bugging me. "Hey, Aiden, can you indulge me for a sec?"

"Sure, what's up?"

I backtracked and stood in front of the bed closest to me, opposite of him. "How long has that Jett kid been here? How long has he acted like this?"

"Oh man, you want me to give you the full history on that asshole?" He shook his head and laughed humorlessly, bringing up his hands in a big mocking gesture. "Jett Atkinson, man's greatest mistake. He's a jerk son of Hermes that bullies everyone. But once Chiron comes around, he's all sweet and innocent, like a good little boy. That's why he hasn't been kicked out. He's only been here for four years, but he thinks he owns the place."

"Has anyone ever done something about it?"

Aiden shook his head, "Not really." He snickered, "Well, there were a couple of awesome times. Like once, he made fun of Nico for being gay, and he used his Hades powers to shake the ground and grab their legs with skeleton hands. Oh man, they were pissing themselves. Best day ever."

"But they didn't stop?"

"Nah, Jett and his band choose their targets carefully. If you're skinny, overweight, or aren't good at a certain activity, you'll suffer on a constant basis. Harper actually gave it to him good one time, but I wasn't here for it. It happened soon after she arrived here."

"What happened?"

"Well, I don't know if I can really say. It's not my place. I'll put it this way, they went out for a little while, and it didn't end well."

I gawked, "Harper dated that douchebag?" That was hard to believe. I figured she would've seen his bullshit from a mile away.

Aiden nodded, eyes wide, silently saying I know, right? "Yeah. You'd have to ask her about it, which...you can if you're feeling brave. But hey, your choice."

"Alright, thanks." I got up to leave when Aiden called after me.

"Hey, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, it's Matt Beckett. Nice to meet you."

"Same. Good luck with your quest."

"I appreciate it." I closed the cabin door behind me and made my way straight to the arena, which unlike the Nemesis cabin, wasn't hard to spot. It was literally a circular, coliseum like building that had people constantly coming in and out with armor and weapons. Well, at least in the evening. Right now people were busy with other, more summer camp friendly activities.

I looked inside and saw Harper. She was by herself, practicing with her knives by turning training dummies into mincemeat. Her swings were so graceful, yet ferocious, like a deadly dancer. Not one attack seemed out of place or uncoordinated. She'd clearly been training with those things for a long time.

She looked good. I find myself saying that a lot, but then again, I find myself breathing a lot to live, so it just goes in sync with fact. Instead of her custom camp t-shirt, she wore a black tank top, similar dark jeans from yesterday, and combat boots. She must've been in there a while, because her arms glistened with sweat, and stray locks of hair had been plastered to her face.

For a second, I just watched her destroy the dummies, ending it all with a simultaneous throw. She pitched both knives out beside her, not even looking at the targets, but the hit remaining true all the same. Both knives planted themselves in the dummies' foreheads. Perfect accuracy.

I was impressed. Stepping inside and approaching her, I started clapping slowly.

She flinched and looked at me like an enemy had just invaded her personal space. But once she recognized me, she let out a breath, going on as usual, plucking her knives from the poor training dummies.

"Sup, Shark Boy." She greeted. "Was beginning to wonder if you bailed on us." Once acquiring her knives, she gave me a once over, lightly snorting. "Orange is not your color."

I looked down at the shirt, "It's not so bad." Taking a long scan at the arena, I was impressed. It had seats and rows like bleachers and everything, with wide space and walls of weapons, plenty to choose from. Demigods could learn whatever they needed here.

"Whaddya think?" She asked, referring to the arena, but I chose to comment on her knife skills.

"You're really good with those knives. How long have you had them?"

She sheathed them with a shove right into the leather strap. "Eight years, something like that. I never miss a day."

I nodded, "Disciplined. I like that." Inwardly, I wanted to punch myself. You like that, huh? Why not just come out and say you're a creep, Matt?

But she didn't seem to notice. She just raised her chin at me, "So you sticking around? We could use you in capture the flag."

"Yeah, I'm gonna play. Which team are you on?"

"Oh, Nemesis made an alliance with Apollo. It's us, Hephaestus, Demeter, Athena, and a few of the other minor cabins against the Hermes alliance. But they don't stand a chance. We're gonna crush them."

I then thought about what Aiden had said, about Jett being a son of Hermes. I didn't want to change the subject when we were talking about something fun, but I did.

"Hey, I know this is probably gonna sound weird and out of nowhere, but what's the deal with Jett Atkinson?"

I knew if I said did you two go out? That would spark a negative reaction. Also, it would be really pushy and forward. It was better to seem like I didn't know about their past relationship.

Harper knit her eyebrows, "Jett? Why are you asking about..." Her eyebrows unknit, and she nodded knowingly. "It was Aiden, wasn't it? You went looking for me, and he told you?"

Crap, busted. She was smart. "Well, he didn't tell me everything, if that helps."

She scoffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh Aiden, you stupid kid."

"Look, I don't mean to pry. I know we barely know each other, and it's not my place, but it just seems like somebody really needs to do something about him."

She didn't seem too mad with Aiden, which relieved me. I didn't want him to get in trouble because I pulled a stupid stunt. "Oh, you're right, believe me." She sighed, "You wanna know the truth? Here goes. We dated for like a month or two, and it was nice, until he started getting all touchy and grabby, then I broke his nose. The end."

I pictured her doing so, and couldn't help the laugh that came from my mouth. "You broke his nose?"

"Yeah. Bastard took me out to sit by the lake and started kissing me. Sure, whatever, I knew people in relationships did that, but when he tried to reach inside my pants, and didn't stop when I told him to, I decked him right here." She pointed to the center of her nose. "Safe to say we broke up after that. I regret ever giving him the time of day."

I was still smiling. "Wow, that's...I mean, that's awesome. Nice job."

The tiniest smile formed on her lips, "Thanks. Wait, are you planning on beating him up or something? You'd better be careful, Chiron doesn't know about his antics, so in his eyes, he's just a regular camper. You might get in trouble if he sees."

I shrugged, "I was just gonna have a little talk with him." I smirked, "Then destroy him in Capture the Flag."

She nodded, that slight smile never leaving her lips. "Gotcha. That all you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I had another crazy vision last night. I was hoping we could compare notes after Capture the Flag."

"I'll consider it." She said it with a serious face, but her tone told me she was joking.

"Alright, see ya." I chuckled, and walked out of the arena, out in the open. I didn't even mention the quest or anything, because right now, my mind could only focus on restoring my idea of what this camp is. What it should be. That guy's ruining it. I have the power to sort this problem out and stop others from being picked on. You better believe I'm going to.

Alright, Jett Atkinson, I thought, Once I find you, we're gonna have a little chat.

(000)

See you in chapter four!

Until Next Time.