The Legend of the Son of Poseidon

by HPfanfictioner66

Percy Jackson was having a perfectly normal day until he started hearing a voice in his head. Turns out the voice belonged to a god. Follow Percy's Journey as the god trains and aids him through his journey to become the Greatest demigod to walk on Earth and save the Western Civilization. Powerful Percy! Powerful enemies! Epic fights! Pertemis romance!

18. The Camp, the Hunt and the Quest

Ch.18 The Camp, the Hunt and the Quest

Artemis POV

I sat on my tent floor looking at the back of the son of Poseidon as he stormed out of my tent. Had he been any other male, I would've turned him into a jackalope the very moment he stared at me in my face. I usually didn't take such a thing lying down from anyone, but I understood how dangerous Percy Jackson exactly was.

He was an exceptional warrior, one who had already surpassed what Achilles was at his prime in pure combat. But Perseus was already more powerful than Achilles or that vile male Heracles ever was.

Today was the first time I saw a mortal creating a shield of pure divine energy. A feat only the gods and the titans could do so far. Also, Percy Jackson's track record was nothing to scoff at. In the two quests which he had undertaken, he had defeated monsters that even Zoe, my best huntress would be hesitant to face alone. The Chimera, Medusa, Lernaean Hydra, Echidna, and Minotaur were red alerts for my hunt. We didn't face them without full preparation. And this boy had just waltzed in and killed them like they were nothing but pesky Hellhounds.

The worse part? The boy had faced and defeated more titans than all second-generation Olympians combined. Of course, we weren't born during the Titanomachy so we had never faced the titans but, the fact remained. Only Athena had faced a Titan, Theia, that too recently and would've defeated her if not for Oceanus's intervention.

On the other hand, Percy Jackson had already killed Arastoo, a son of Oceanus and Tethys within seconds and defeated Tethys twice, and nearly killed her both times had the Titans not cheated. He had also held his own against Tethys and Oceanus simultaneously in two-on-one combat in their own domain, no less.

There was also the fact that he was a son of Poseidon and the champion of Hestia, being favored by Athena, Ares, Hades, and Hera. Now, my uncle, Poseidon was not an enemy one should make under any circumstances. Despite whatever my father said, Poseidon was the most powerful Olympian, having the domain of the sea itself. He also had control over storms and was the earthshaker. He could annihilate cities and countries with a mere thought, sending them under the ocean.

And then there was Hestia, the goddess of the Hearth. And, Perseus Jackson was Hestia's first champion. It spoke loads of the boy's character. Normal mortals couldn't even see Hestia unless she wished to be seen. Only those with a heart of gold and with an innate sense of family could see her. And Percy was her champion. This gave him protection against godly threats that Poseidon never could. Hestia was the goddess of hearth and home. If she cursed a place, it would be rendered barren and uninhabitable for centuries. If she took her support away from Olympus, the whole western civilization could fall. She could make a regime fall in seconds if she wanted. And boy, while she was an extremely calm goddess and motherly and everything, you didn't want to see her angry. I remember the first time, which was the last as well so far... when I saw her pissed. She had sent all my uncles cowering under her wrath.

I did not doubt that even if I harmed a hair on Perseus Jackson, without a solid reason and proof, both Poseidon and Hestia would level her hunt in retaliation. Maybe not Hestia, seeing that she was a kind soul and won't harm innocents but, Poseidon definitely would drown the whole hunt to strike against me if I did anything to his son. And, while Hestia may not curse her hunt, she would not take an attack against her champion lying down under any circumstance. And add Athena and Ares in that mix, the boy was practically untouchable.

And then, there was the queen of Olympus herself who favored the boy. HERA! My stepmother hated all demigods except Percy Jackson. She liked the boy so much, likely due to the domain of the family that she shared with Hestia and the fact that she had saved her from the vile male Heracles, that she had gifted him his armor and vambraces that he so proudly wore.

The boy was under the protection of some of the most powerful gods which would make my father think thrice before doing anything to him. He was also damn good in combat and had surpassed every demigod to exist in terms of power. A boy, who was skilled, powerful, well-liked, and had character... a rare combination.

And he was fuming at me and the young maiden who was sitting with a tear running down her cheek. Zoe grabbed her bow and got up but I stopped her.

"My lady, I should teach the boy a lesson for his impertinence. How dare—"

"Sit down, Zoe. You shall not harm the boy." I said sternly.

"I won't kill him... just a lesson that he needs to remember." She argued.

"Zoe, you will not make an enemy of him. His anger is justified as the champion of the Hearth. I'll talk to him... you shall not try to draw your weapon on the boy unless necessary."

"Why do thou protect him, my lady? He's a filthy male after all!" Zoe said and out of the corner of my eye, I could see the Hearth's fire gain an angry shade and rise higher.

"Mind your words against the boy Zoe. Lady Hestia has judged him worthy enough to be her champion. He may be many things but a vile male won't be one of them. Mind your words unless you wish to face her wrath by speaking ill of her beloved champion especially after a family was broken here by our actions. I will go after him. Look after Bianca."

Saying so, I walked out of my tent looking for the boy. I immediately saw him standing near the edge of the cliff from where his friend had fallen. I idly noted that he looked very much like Poseidon from behind only, shorter. I started walking towards him. As I got into a twenty-meter radius, I felt a strong wind blowing around the boy.

Yeah right, son of the storm-bringer.

I walked near him and opened my mouth to speak just as he said, "What do you want, Lady Artemis?"

For some absurd reason, I felt hurt instead of angry at his clipped, cold tone. It held no respect it previously did. It was empty of any emotion. He hadn't even turned to glance at me, still staring ahead.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to do what I did." I blurted out, mentally slapping myself for losing composure and apologizing... I wanted to apologize without being direct. He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. His face was devoid of emotion, but his eyes told a different story. They were a swirling storm and aflame at the same time. It looked just as mesmerizing as it looked scary and dangerous.

"I mean, I didn't want to break a family... I never thought it that way. I was just offering a maiden a reprieve from—"

"Stop." He commanded, essentially cutting me off. "Why are you apologizing to me, Lady Artemis?"

That stopped me short. Why was I apologizing to him? It was not him that I had sinned but, Bianca's brother Nico.

"You should be apologizing to that kid whose elder sister you just snatched away from him." He said in a firm tone that was still devoid of any emotion. "Moreover, make that girl apologize and rekindle with Nico."

I breathed in deeply, still not knowing why his stare and tone were making me squirm... it made me feel guilty and disappointed... THE DOMAIN OF HEARTH! That was it. Hestia had done the same thing numerous times changing decisions taken by the council by a few sentences. Perseus was knowingly or unknowingly doing the same. I knew I had to be careful now or guilt will gnaw me all the time now, making me replay his words... Hestia had a similar effect on the whole council a few times when she had radiated such disappointment.

"I will... tell Bianca what you said... I just wished to justify what she did... you must understand..."

His eyes softened a tad, "I can understand why she did it, Artemis. You just wanted to give a maiden a family as you have been doing for centuries and I respect you immensely for that. As for Bianca... The prospect of immortality is alluring to many and so is the prospect of a new life. But, I disapprove of the way she did it. She should have talked to her brother before making her decision and persuaded him to accept it. If she goes now and tells what she did, Nico will feel abandoned. His sister has been his whole life till now. I saw how he was shielding her from the Manticore near the cliff, staring in the face of death to protect his sister. How will he feel, when he comes to know that his sister all but got rid of him by joining your hunt?"

I felt tears prickle my eyes. Damn, Percy Jackson knew how to make a person feel guilty.

"Nico's whole life revolved around his sister," He continued. "It just got snatched away from him and he still doesn't know yet," Percy said, gesturing towards Nico and the Satyr sitting playing cards and laughing merrily.

"I... will tell Bianca to make things right. You're correct, it was selfish of us both to do what we did. I should've taken the boy into account before I offered Bianca a home in the hunt. I just hope that she has enough time to correct her mistakes while my huntresses are at the camp."

"You never told me what monster you're hunting." He asked, changing the topic. I knew I couldn't tell him that as it may jinx it. Fates were a tricky thing.

"Just pray I am wrong..."

"So, you're going to hunt this monster down on your own?" He questioned.

"Do you question my skills, boy?" I asked in a warning tone. I was a goddess and needed to assert it. But, he looked unfazed.

"No, just question the motives that the Titan lord may have. My best friend just got kidnapped, the General is scheming, and you're going off on your own on a wild-monster chase to no one knows where." He explained.

I opened my mouth before closing it. Damn, I need to stop behaving like this especially in front of a boy. I may not hate every male on the planet(case in point being my brother- he may be annoying and an asshole but I loved him), but I did have a reputation to uphold.

"What do you mean, Percy?"

He blinked. "I am trying to put clues together myself, Lady Artemis. I hoped to get the name of the monster that you were hunting to piece together a clue."

"I have my reasons for not naming the monster, Percy," I said with regret. From what I had heard from Athena when she talked (read: gushed) about the boy, he was an extremely intelligent demigod and a master strategist. Athena went as far as to proclaim that he would give her best and most intelligent children a run for their money.

"A clue?" He asked hopefully.

"It is capable of bringing the downfall of Olympus and has not been seen for more than three thousand years." I gave him the biggest clue I thought I could without jinxing myself. There were many powerful monsters out there like Typhoon and Keto but they were tall as skyscrapers and their presence would've been felt by anyone. The monster I was hunting was much more harmless in itself. I just hoped my stressing gave him some clue.

He frowned before sighing. "Okay... I'll work on it if that's what you want me to do. How are we getting to the camp though?"

"My brother will help you," I replied with a smirk.

"Apollo... Oh my god, we'll ride the sun chariot?" He asked with excitement. I grinned in response, knowing how badly it may go knowing my irresponsible twin.

---

Percy POV

Artemis left for a few minutes after our conversation and went to her tent before coming back to stand a little away from me as the huntresses broke camp.

Bianca went off to one side, talking with Nico. I could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. I couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her to abandon her little brother like that.

Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around me, anxious to hear what had happened in my audience with the goddess. When I told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited the camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they even show up here?" I wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

There was some big history between the two.

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so… into nature," Grover swooned.

"You're nuts," said Thalia.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

I could see the amusement in Artemis's eyes from where I stood. I knew she could hear us perfectly well.

Finally, the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter." There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth. "Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

I averted my eyes and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until my winter coat felt like it was melting off of me. Then suddenly the light died. I looked and saw a red convertible Maserati Spyder. It was so awesome it glowed. Then I realized it was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why I was now standing on green grass.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen. He was lean and had blonde hair with a sculpted face and an outdoorsy look. He was smiling, showing off his perfect white teeth. A playboy if I ever saw one.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," I said with amusement.

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded us without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"Didn't Artemis help Leto give birth to you?" I blurted out. Both the twin archers looked at me. Artemis beamed brightly at me that her smile could light up the night sky while Apollo pouted.

"Exactly! I helped mother—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted Artemis. "Got the girls with you, I see. Do you all need some archery tips?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently, they'd met Apollo before. He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis pleads for my help.

I am so cool."

He grinned at us, waiting for applause. "That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, "There once was a goddess from Sparta—" she shuddered.

#Complete Apollo's poem... Haiku. Sentence: I am so awesome. Will help you get on his good side.#

"Well, Lord Apollo," I said dramatically, making him look at me, "I am so awesome."

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"The last line to the Haiku."

"I am so awesome. That's five syllables! Thank you!"

Artemis groaned.

"And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked us out. "Let's see… Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at me, "Percy Jackson?"

"Yes."

Apollo studied me, but he didn't say anything, which I found a little creepy. "Well!" he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

---

Soon, Artemis bid us all goodbye and ran off to hunt the monster following tracks that only she could see.

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of us highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with us, which did nothing to decrease my anger towards her, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

After explaining about the son chariot to an excitable Nico, he chose Thalia to drive the sun chariot to the camp despite her protests.

"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you open her up." Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong." She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast I fell back and crashed against something soft.

"Ow," Grover said.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo said.

"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"

I managed to get to my feet. Looking out the window, I saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where we'd taken off. "Thalia," I said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," I told her.

"I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left." Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw me into Grover, who yelped.

"The other left," Apollo suggested. I made the mistake of looking out the window again. We were at airplane height now... so high the sky was starting to look black. "Ah…" Apollo said, and I got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was wrong. I'd never seen her like this. The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was me. Now we were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

"Fuck it!" I muttered and managed to put a hand on Thalia's shoulder before sending the calming power of the Hearth through her. She started to loosen up before correcting the path the sun chariot was on.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats. I glared at the god, giving him an 'I'll kill you later' look.

After a few minutes, we managed to land safely... thankfully avoiding a crash in the canoe lake.

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered. "We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away. Served the girl right.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he hopped back on the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!"

He gave her a wicked smile as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, a red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight. Nico was still looking grumpy. I wondered what the bitch of his sister had told him.

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," I said. "He's a centaur. The trainer of heroes, you know... the one who trained Achilles and all?"

If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."

---

Finally, I got to Cabin Three, the cabin of Poseidon. It was a low gray building hewn from sea stone, with shells and coral fossils imprinted in the rock.

It had been a busy morning. The first thing Thalia and I did was meet Chiron and Mr. D to inform them of the events that had taken place. Also, Chiron had sent Clarisse to some top-secret mission that he refused to share with me. Oh, also the campers were preparing for a game of Capture-the-flag against the huntresses. It was a tradition in which the hunters had been winning continuously for the past fifty-five times... in a row.

I entered my counselor's cabin and I noticed a strange sound—water gurgling—and I realized there was something new in the room. At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool. The water must've been hot because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea. I stepped up to the pool. There was no note attached or anything, but I knew it could only be a gift from Poseidon.

I looked into the water and said, "Thanks, Dad." The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachma. I realized what the fountain was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with my family. I opened the nearest window, and the wintry sunlight made a rainbow in the mist. Then I fished a coin out of the hot water.

"Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow," I said, "accept my offering. Show me Tyson at the forges of the Cyclopes in Atlantis."

The mist shimmered, and the image of my half-brother appeared. He was surrounded by fire, which would've been a problem if he weren't a Cyclops. He was bent over an anvil, hammering a red-hot sword blade. Sparks flew and flames swirled around his body. There was a marble-framed window behind him, and it looked out onto dark blue water—the bottom of the ocean.

"Tyson!" I yelled. He didn't hear me at first because of the hammering and the roar of the flames. "TYSON!"

He turned, and his one enormous eye widened. His face broke into a crooked yellow grin. "Percy!" He dropped the sword blade and ran at me, trying to hug me. The vision blurred and I instinctively lurched back.

"Tyson, it's an Iris message. I'm not here."

"Oh." He came back into view, looking embarrassed. "Oh, I knew that. Yes."

"How are you?" I asked. "How's the job?"

His eye lit up. "Love the job! Look!" He picked up the hot sword blade with his bare hands. "I made this!"

"That's cool."

"I wrote my name on it. Right there."

"Awesome. Listen, do you talk to Dad much?"

Tyson's smile faded. "Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war. Old sea spirits making trouble. Aigaios. Oceanus. Those guys. We are arming the mermaids. They need a thousand more swords by tomorrow." He looked at his sword blade and sighed. "Old spirits are protecting the bad boat."

"I know, brother. Tell dad that if he needs help, call me. Or if he finds Tethys. We have a score to settle."

"I heard you defeated the bad-Titaness and the bad-Titan by yourself brother and killed one who attacked you! They say you're very brave and powerful."

"Thanks."

"And, Percy, don't worry about the bad boat. It is going away."

"What do you mean?"

"Panama Canal! Very far away."

I frowned. Why would Luke take his demon-infested cruise ship all the way down there? The last time we'd seen him, he'd been cruising along the East Coast, recruiting half-bloods and training his monstrous army.

#Mount Othrys. The home of the Titans exists near there!#

Fuck.

In the forges, a deep voice bellowed something I couldn't make out. Tyson flinched. "Got to get back to work! Boss will get mad. Good luck, Brother!" And he waved his hand through the mist. Soon, I went to sleep. The problem was my dreams.

Annabeth was on a dark hillside, shrouded in fog. It almost seemed like the Underworld, because I immediately felt claustrophobic and I couldn't see the sky above—just close, heavy darkness, as if I were in a cave. Annabeth struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to rums.

"Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?"

She scrambled over a section of broken wall and came to the crest of the hill. She gasped. There was Luke. And he was in pain. He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat, "Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"

She ran forward. I tried to cry out: 'He's a traitor! Don't trust him!' But my voice didn't work in the dream. Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second, she hesitated.

"What happened?" she asked.

"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me." He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as though the fog were squeezing him to death.

"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

'Let him die,' I wanted to scream. Luke had tried to kill us in cold blood too many times. He didn't deserve anything from Annabeth.

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily. "I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth.

"HELP ME!" she pleaded.

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground. I sat bolt upright in bed, clawing at the sheets. There was no sound in my cabin except the gurgle of the saltwater spring. The clock on my nightstand read just after midnight. Only a dream, but I was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible.

#Oh shit, your friend is under the sky!# Alexander exclaimed in panic.

"What!?" I asked out loud.

#The sky Percy! She holds Atlas' burden. She won't be able to hold it for long... An hour or two at the maximum as she is a mortal.#

'But Luke said help was on the way... who would be foolish enough to take the sky.'

#Won't you? If it means to help her?#

'But I am not there, Alexander... who is...' It seemed that realization dawned on both of us at the same time. #'ARTEMIS!'#

I ripped off my covers and put on a shirt before pulling my cabin door open and rushing towards Cabin 8. There was only one way to contact Artemis: Her Huntresses. I skidded to a halt in front of the cabin and banged on the door.

A second later, the door opened and I found myself face to face with a dagger pointed at my throat.

The huntress was in silver nightwear, glaring at me. "What do you want filthy—"

"Call your Lieutenant please."

She sneered. "Boy,"

"CALL. HER. NOW!"

"Who the hell do you think you are boy. Now go away before I castrate you!"

"See, Huntress. Call Zoe. It is urgent."

"As if she'll spare time for you."

"It is a matter of utmost importance, kindly call Miss Nightshade instead of wasting time."

By now, a few huntresses had gathered around her, pointing their arrows at me. I saw Liza awake blinking at me.

"Boy—" I ignored the girl at the door and looked at Liza.

"Liz, go. Please call Zoe fast. It is urgent." She nodded and rushed back.

My senses tingled and I reacted, disarming the girl in front of me who had moved to cut my balls before twisting her hand.

"Attack me again and I'll kill you, huntress. I am here trying to save Artemis from a trap. You've wasted precious time with your useless questions."

Every girl in the cabin froze and I pushed the huntress away.

"What do you mean boy?" She sneered.

"Where is Zoe?"

That was when Zoe came out with her bow in hand with Liza following her. She narrowed her eyes at me but before she could speak, I ordered, "IM Artemis. Right now."

"What? Why should I disturb my lady?"

"She is in danger. We are running out of time."

"What do you mean boy? Do you think it is funny?"

"I'll explain. Call her for now. Right now."

She gave me a skeptical look before removing a drachma.

"We need some mist."

I immediately summoned my trident. As soon as it appeared, the girls tensed except Liza. I jabbed it in the air and mist sprayed from it. I gave Zoe a 'what are you waiting for' look. She threw the drachma in the air.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, show me Artemis."

The mist started shimmering like a screen glitch. I frowned. That was odd.

Then, a cool automated voice sounded. "Out of coverage area."

I paled. She was already in Othrys.

"That's not possible." She threw another drachma and this time said some sort of code with the normal incantation... only to get the same results.

"Why can't I contact her?" Zoe said with a frown. "There are a few places where Iris Message doesn't work. One is the land beyond the gods but Artemis wasn't going there. She won't go to the sea of monsters either."

She looked at me. I stared at her, dead in the eye, and said, "There is one more place in the boundaries of the western civilization where Iris has no Jurisdiction."

Zoe thought for a moment before paling. "No..." she whispered in a horrified tone. "she can't be there."

"What is the filthy male talking about Zoe?" The huntress who had tried to castrate me asked. Zoe ignored her.

"It can't be possible, Perseus. No." Zoe repeated in a horrified tone.

I pursed my lips. "Well, I was trying to contact her ASAP to prevent it but someone wasted my time."

"Come with me, Perseus," Zoe said commandingly before turning to the huntresses. "Start preparing thyself. We may need to go and rescue our lady."

"That is a really bad idea," I told Zoe. "You should not be rushing there, believe me, it is a really bad idea."

She whirled around to me. "Do you think we hunters are weak, boy?"

"Against whom you will face if you go there? Definitely. You all may be excellent warriors, no doubt but the enemy whom you're going to face there, considering my dream is true..."

"Who is this enemy thou are so afraid of?"

"Not someone's name I would take here."

Zoe stared at me as if judging my soul. "Huntresses, go in. I will give further orders once I return. Perseus let's go."

"Where?"

"To Chiron. He'll help us."

"Okay."

"Zoe are you sure that—"

Zoe whirled around at the huntress who had spoken... the one who had attacked me. "Naomi, it was an order. Not a request. Go in and wait for further commands. We'll discuss your actions today later. Come, boy."

She marched off towards the big house and I followed. We were intercepted by Argus at the door of the big house. "Argus, she is with me. Go get Chiron to the conference room." I said commandingly. "Tell him there are matters that demand his immediate attention. Artemis's Lieutenant and I will wait in the conference room."

I led Zoe to the conference room and took a seat while she paced before turning to me. "Now, tell me who is this enemy you are talking about, boy?"

"I would wait for Chiron... it is best if you both hear it together." She glared at me but didn't say anything.

Finally, after five minutes, Chiron came out in his pajamas and his horsetail in curlers wearing a dozing-centaur t-shirt. "What happened?" He asked, looking at us.

"I had a dream. Of Annabeth."

"Tell me everything."

So, I narrated the dream to both of them. By the end of it, both were pale. Zoe suddenly grabbed the front of my T-shirt. "Are you sure that is what you saw, boy?"

"Yes. The General's burden has been transferred to Annabeth... and by now Artemis likely. Annabeth, despite all her bravery and power, is still a mortal. She won't be able to hold the burden for more than an hour before dying. The fact that it took more than twenty-four hours to take her there is a clear indication that it was a trap well set for Artemis. The sky isn't a burden that can be forced upon anyone except a Titan. By seeing Annabeth in trouble, Artemis will go to help her and take the burden from her."

"That is why you were in such a hurry... only if I had been faster..." Zoe sniffed.

It took her a couple of seconds to compose herself. She turned to Chiron. "Chiron, we need permission to leave the camp immediately to look for Artemis. The Hunters will leave at first light."

"No," Chiron said firmly. "Hunters are supposed to stay here until they receive orders from Artemis."

"How are we to get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?" Zoe fumed.

"There is a way... for her and the hunters to leave the camp... A power that would supersede Artemis's orders for her hunters to remain at the camp." I said, looking imploringly at Chiron.

"A quest," Chiron said grimly. "We'll wait till after tomorrow... Well, today's capture the flag game and discuss this tomorrow morning." He held up a hand to stall Zoe's protests. "I need to take this matter to Olympus. Please have some patience till then."

Zoe's shoulders slumped in defeat before she walked out of the room. Chiron looked at me. "Percy, it is best if you get some sleep as well. You didn't have any yesterday. Go to sleep child, and have some nice rest. For all we know, you may need to get going on another quest in some thirty hours." I nodded and went back to my cabin to sleep.

---

That night after dinner, I was seriously ready to beat the Hunters at capture the flag. Throughout the day, there had been myriad small confrontations between the hunters and campers.

It was going to be a small game: only sixteen Hunters, including the heartless, Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers. Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying.

On our team, we had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin (though it still seemed strange that Clarisse wasn't around), the Stoll brothers, and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. It was weird that the Aphrodite cabin wanted to play. Usually, they sat on the sidelines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard we were fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

That left Thalia and me. "I'll take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "You take defense."

"I have a better idea. Both of us should be at offense with the Stolls and a couple of others. Rest will protect the flag. I have an attack strategy as well."

"Get Help!" I yelled as Thalia leaned over my shoulder looking pale. "HELP. Please." I put as much desperation as I could in my voice.

Two seconds later, about eight hunters rushed with their bows lowered.

"What happened?" One demanded before I threw Thalia at them with full force flattening three girls under her. Thalia immediately got up and used lightning and tasered about five of them while I bonked another on her head with my shield, knocking the huntress out cold before letting out a whistle and running ahead while putting on Annabeth's invisibility cap while Silena and Jack, a son of Ares rushed in to help Thalia.

I knocked yet another hunter out of my way who was caught by surprise as an invisible force, aka my shield slammed into her. I could see their silver flag up ahead, only one guard, who wasn't even looking in my direction. I heard fighting to my left and right, somewhere in the woods. I had it made.

The huntress turned and I saw it was Nico's selfish sister. I hit her hard, sending her flying into the snow several meters away." That was for Nico." I muttered before removing my cap and taking the flag. I would've preferred to do it while invisible but... there were rules. The person taking the flag shouldn't be invisible. I removed the flag before running back at full speed towards our territory.

ZIP. A silvery cord raced across my ankles and fastened to the tree next to me. A tripwire fired from a bow! Cool, I know. But, I was Percy Jackson. I jumped over it and continued ahead.

Only a few more yards to the creek and I had the game.

More arrows whizzed past my ears. A Hunter came out of nowhere and slashed at me with her knife, but I parried and kept running. I heard yelling from our side of the creek. Beckendorf and Nico were running toward me. I thought they were coming to welcome me back, but then I saw they were chasing someone—Zoe Nightshade, racing toward me like a cheetah, dodging campers with no trouble. And she had our flag in her hands.

Well, that won't do. I ran faster... at about 90mph, my top speed. She was still nearer to the creek than I was.

I was a meter away when I saw her legs tense, preparing to jump. As her feet left the ground, I willed a jet of water from the creek to slam into her, sending her sprawling back into the snow. I leaped over the creek line and planted the hunter flag right next to where Zoe lay with our flag.

The campers cheered as both sides converged on the creek. Chiron appeared out of the woods, looking smug. He had the Stoll brothers on his back, and it looked as if both of them had taken some nasty whacks to the head. Connor Stoll had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae.

"The campers win!" He declared happily.

"They CHEATED!" A huntress yelled. "These two tricked us!" She said pointing at Thalia and me.

Thalia came and stood next to me, she smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis. "You're only saying this because you all lost!"

"He tricked us by making us believe she needed help!"

"And you fell for it. Your mistake!"

"Enough!" Chiron ordered. "The campers have won. Be honorable and accept your defeat."

"Chiron's right, we lost fair and square." Zoe agreed before freezing, looking beyond my shoulder. I turned.

Someone… something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but the campers and Hunters gasped as it got closer. "This is impossible," Chiron said. I'd never heard him sound so nervous. "It… she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green. None of us dared move. Then her voice hissed inside my head. Apparently, everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over their ears.

'I am the spirit of Delphi,' the voice said. 'Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.' The Oracle regarded me with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade. 'Approach, Seeker, and ask.'

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. I saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke:

Six shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The Son of Poseidon protects the goddess's trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

The Titan's curse one must withstand

The Heritage's return shall save the moon's hand

Then, as we were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years.

---

A council meeting of cabin heads was immediately called. The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers, the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had kind of become Zoe's personal assistant... likely buttering her up) took the other end. Thalia, Grover, and I sat along the right, and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They 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."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. I was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, and her dark eyes vaguely reminded me of someone famous, but I couldn't think who. She looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. She was clearly happy after abandoning Nico while the poor boy had cried himself to sleep at night in the Hermes cabin.

"You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

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

"Your" Thalia grumbled. "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. "Your. We do not need your help."

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

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "One shall be lost. 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," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

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

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, 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," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

And, people started arguing.

"ENOUGH!" I yelled, putting power in my voice and slamming my fist on the ping-pong table. Everyone jumped back and quietened down. "Three campers, three hunters. Choose your own."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Three campers should go."

"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 the 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 could sense there was some liquid inside the shirt. I flicked my hand and set it to fire. Travis yelped and dropped it before shooting me a look.

"Why did you do that?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, what had you put in the T-shirt? What did you intend to do to her?" He gulped and sat back down, saying nothing.

"What had you put!?" Zoe demanded, putting her dagger at the boy's throat.

"Nothing." He squeaked.

"Zoe, sit," I ordered. "You can kill Travis later. Your third hunter?"

"As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

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

"Yes." I agreed. "Taking her is a bad idea."

"Boy, thyself said to choose your own. I choose Bianca."

"Really? Can you guarantee that she won't betray us? She left her little brother whom she has been with her whole life cause she got an offer at partial immortality. What is the guarantee that she won't stab you, a person she knows for a day, in the back if she gets something better?" I challenged.

Bianca staggered back at that accusation looking shocked and hurt. Her eyes started to tear up.

"SHE WON'T. I can guarantee that. There is no better way for her to prove herself." Zoe gave Bianca a firm look telling her not to cry. She wiped her eyes and gave us a stony look.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked, changing the topic. His eyes met mine, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"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," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. I didn't exactly know what a tracker's song was, but apparently, Zoe thought it was a good thing.

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

"I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her.

"And the third?" She asked, nodding at Thalia.

"Isn't it obvious? Me!" I said with exasperation.

"No. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"The Son of Poseidon protects the goddess's trail. If you have any other son of Poseidon in your back pocket, do tell. And you already agreed to travel with Grover."

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I have to go," I said. "I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "Annabeth's my best friend. I will save her. If you insist on not taking me, I'll knock every huntress out cold and except Liza, whom I would with me on the quest to fulfill the prophecy's conditions and go to save Annabeth."

"Percy, no!" Chiron said.

"No," Zoe said flatly, taking her bow out. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

"Plan B then," I said, willing my sword in my hand.

"Percy, SIT DOWN!" Chiron shouted. He turned to Zoe. "You are taking Percy with you. He's the most powerful and skilled demigod I've ever taught. And, as for his character, do you doubt the judgment of Lady Hestia? Percy is the best bet to save Artemis, whether you like it or not. He is a great warrior who has defeated Titans and gods. Do you challenge his qualification and the judgment of Lady Hestia, huntress?"

Zoe gulped before looking at me.

"I am going one way or another," I said firmly. "Choose fast so I know if I need to enact plan B or not. I am going to save my best friend. I will not leave my best friend like she left her brother," I added, gesturing at Bianca, who was clenching her fists by now. "I am going to save my best friend, whether you agree to take me or not." I declared with finality.

Zoe glared at me, before nodding grudgingly.

"So be it," Chiron said. "Percy, Thalia, and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you."

---

Soon, the meeting ended and we went for dinner. I sacrificed my food to dad, Hestia, and Artemis, telling the moon goddess that we were coming to rescue her. After a few words with Thalia, I waved to Hestia, who was at the hearth good night, and went towards my cabin, when I felt someone approaching me from behind.

I turned around and saw it was Bianca di Angelo. She had no weapon in her hand.

"Yes?" I asked curtly.

"What is your problem with me?" She demanded. "Why do you behave with me like this while you are okay with all others?"

"Do you know who I am, huntress?"

"Percy Jackson, why?"

"Yes, I am Percy Jackson. But, I am also Hestia's champion. Do you know who she is?"

"This is the second time she has been mentioned... who is she?"

"She is the eldest Olympian, the goddess of the hearth, home, family, and fire. And, I am her champion. You slighted your family when you abandoned your brother. It was the greatest sin in the eyes of Hestia... to betray your own family."

"How do you know?"

"Well, she is sitting right there, at the Hearth."

Bianca turned around and frowned. "There is no one there."

"Ah, only those with a strong sense of family can see her. And you," I snorted, "Are an abandoner. A girl who is so selfish that she abandoned her little brother to have fun. Do you know, your brother cried himself to sleep last night while you were having fun?"

She looked as if she had been slapped. "Nico... cried himself to sleep?" She asked in a broken tone.

"Travis said that he was very quiet... he hadn't even heard him. But, he did see tear streaks and his puffy eyes in the morning." I replied. "He is a strong boy, hiding the feeling of abandonment behind a mask of excitement. I can feel it, you know? When he is near me, I could feel him upset over you abandoning him. That is why I spent the majority of the day before the capture of the flag with him today."

Bianca crumbled to the ground and started sobbing. I said nothing. She needed to understand what she had done. Hestia walked from the hearth towards me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I knew Bianca still couldn't see her. "She understands now... it is breaking upon her."

"Go to sleep, Bianca. You can correct your mistakes after the quest if you want. I won't have you compromising the quest in your grief." I said and turned around before walking back to my cabin along with Hestia.

"You did the right thing, Perseus. She realizes her mistake now. Abandoning one's family is a despicable thing to do." Hestia said.

"Was I too hard on her?" I asked.

"Maybe a little. But, now what is done is done. Go to sleep, child. I'll go and help her out a bit."

"She can't even see you."

"Yes, she can't. But, I can will it so that she sees me. I'll sooth her a little before sending her to bed. And, I'll be in disguise. Go to sleep, child. You're about to go on a dangerous quest tomorrow. I wish you luck. May the fates be with you." She said before hugging me and bidding me a good night.

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

I was back in that barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above me. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs trembled. Any second, I knew she would run out of strength, and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed. It wasn't Kronos. Kronos's voice was raspy and metallic... like a knife scraped across a 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 made the ground vibrate. Luke emerged from the shadows. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man.

"She's fading. We must hurry."

The hypocrite. Like he cared what happened to her.

The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows, at the edge of my dream. Then a meaty hand thrust someone forward into the light—Artemis—her hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains. I gasped. Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. The goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. My heart felt like it was being twisted into a knot. I wanted to run to her, but I couldn't move.

"Free my hands," Artemis said. Luke brought out his sword, Backbiter. With one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs. Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks... The sky.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You and your friend surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man mocked. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."

"On that," the man said, "We can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"No!'" Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "She-she may yet be useful, sir... Further bait."

"Bah! You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenas can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess. "You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

The man laughed. "We'll see, goddess. We'll see." The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse and I woke up with a start.

#That was yesterday's dream... or what you should've seen yesterday. Artemis is held hostage. Atlas is there and so is his 'friend'.#

'Another Titan?'

#Likely.#

'Damn hell. Two titans, Luke and an army of monsters versus five demigods and a satyr out of whom one is completely untrained. And Grover doesn't fight.'

#Don't underestimate your companions, Percy. I am sure Thalia and Zoe could hold off a Titan together. And once you'll go there, you may get Annabeth to support you as well.#

'Against Atlas, none of them would hold a candle, would they?'

#... No, they won't. We will need to take Atlas down together and even then I doubt we would be successful. He took six hits from Zeus's master bolt and a direct hit from Poseidon's trident two days before the end of the first Titanomachy before going down. Two days later, when the final siege began against Othrys, he was back on his feet fighting at the front of the lines as if nothing had happened. He took four more point-blank hits from the master bolt to knock him out that day. He is a true demon on the battlefield. The only reason I think we could hold him off is that he will be weakened due to holding the sky for more than three millennia and hopefully a bit rusty.#

'What else can you tell me about him? Something I don't know?'

#He is many things including a fiercely loyal person, especially to his family and a great father. He would protect his kids... all of whom are his daughters. The five Hesperides and Calypso.#

'Wait. There are four Hesperides.'

#Are. There were originally five. You know one of them: Zoe Nightshade.#

I sputtered. Zoe was a daughter of Atlas?

'Then why is she a hunter now?'

#Long story short, she was banished for reasons which are not mine to tell. She made a mistake and paid heavily for it. End of the story. She was banished and Artemis found her and took her in.#

'O...kay.' I told Alexander, taking in the new piece of information.

Suddenly, there was a banging noise at my cabin door. I extended my senses and felt that there was a... Pegasus at my door?

I walked out of my room and opened the door. It was Blackjack, my Pegasus. Well, he had proclaimed me as his but that didn't matter as he called me boss. He had escaped from Princess Andromeda during Athena's and my fight against the Titans.

"Blackjack," I said, "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 who needs your help.

"Again?" Yeah. I told the hippocampi I'd come to get you. I groaned. 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, mermaids with hangnails—they'd call me to come underwater and help.

"All right," I said. "I'm coming."

You're the best, boss

I looked back in my cabin and saw that everything was ready for my quest. We were leaving after breakfast at 8.30 AM sharp. It was a little after five at the moment. I had more than three hours. I hoped this won't take much time.

Blackjack gave me 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 my hair and the sea spray in my face—hey, it beats waterskiing any day. Here. Blackjack slowed and turned in a circle. Straight down.

"Thanks." I tumbled off his back and plunged into the icy sea.

I shot down into the darkness.

As I got closer to the bottom, I saw three hippocampi—fish-tailed horses—swimming in a circle around an overturned boat. The hippocampi were beautiful to watch. Their fishtails shimmered in rainbow colors, glowing phosphorescent. Their manes were white, and they were galloping through the water the way nervous horses do in a thunderstorm. Something was upsetting them.

I got closer and saw the problem. 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, some lazy fishermen would just cut them loose and let the trapped animals die. 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.

The hippocampi were swimming around frantically, wanting to help but not sure how. One was trying to chew the net, but hippocampi teeth just aren't meant for cutting rope. Hippocampi are really strong, but they don't have hands, and they're not (shhh) all that smart.

Free it, lord! A hippocampus said when it saw me. The others joined in, asking the same thing. I swam in for a closer look at the tangled creature.

At first, I thought it was a young hippocampus. I'd rescued several of them before. But then I heard a strange sound, something that did not belong underwater: "Mooooooo!"

I got next to the thing and saw that it was a cow. I mean… I'd heard of sea cows, like manatees and stuff, but this really was a cow with the back end of a serpent. The front half was a calf—a baby, with black fur and big, sad brown eyes and a white muzzle—and its back half was a black-and-brown snaky tail with fins running down the top and bottom, like an enormous eel.

Suddenly, I felt Alexander panic. Like... full blown-panic mode.

'Alexander?'

#Percy... That... that is the Ophiotaurus!#

I paled, remembering the myth.

The Fates had ordained a prophecy eons ago when the creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods. There was a great power in killing innocence. Terrible power.

#You need to get it safe, Percy. Get it to your father, no one else. If anyone, anyone tries to stop you or take him, kill them. No detours.#

We don't know what it is, lord, one of the hippocampi said. Many strange things are stirring. But please free it!

I knelt at the eye level of the Ophiotaurus. "Calm down, I am going to free you from here. I promise not to hurt you. Then, I'll take you to safety. I promise."

"Moooo!"

I, unfortunately, didn't understand cow. Neither did Alexander. I gave it a nod before extending my aura to calm it... her... damn, I'll call her Bessie. I decided. It may be a bad idea to let her know that I knew what she was.

"I'll call you Bessie. You like that, don't you, girl?"

She mooo-ed in response... and I took it as a yes.

Free it, lord! the Hippocampi pleaded.

"Working on it," I muttered. I doubted that Bessie would like swords, knives, or fire. It may panic and run away which I didn't want.

"All right," I told the hippocampi. "I need all of you to push exactly the way I tell you."

First, we started with the boat. It wasn't easy, but with the strength of three horsepower, we managed to shift the wreckage so it was no longer threatening to collapse on the Ophiotaurus. Then I went to work on the net, untangling it section by section, getting lead weights and fishing hooks straightened out, yanking out knots around the Ophiotaurus' hooves. It took some twenty minutes to do it. I kept talking to the Ophiotaurus the whole time, telling her everything was okay while she mooed and moaned.

Finally, the net came off and the cow serpent zipped through the water and did a happy somersault. The hippocampi whinnied with joy. Thank you, Lord!

"Moooo!"The cow serpent nuzzled me and gave me big brown eyes. She was cute.

"Will you come with me, Bessie?" I asked her. She gave me big brown eyes before nodding. I smiled and turned to the hippocampi. "Can you lead us to Atlantis? As fast as you can?"

Yes, my Lord, They chorused.

Wonderful. Now, I needed something to hide Bessie till I could reach my father. I took Annabeth's invisibility cap out of my pocket and placed it on the Ophiotaurus' head. It expanded to fit her perfectly and she became invisible. I petted her invisible form. "Stay close to me. Don't panic, I'll protect you with my life."

Bessie moo-ed in response.

"Superb," I said hoping it was a yes. "Come with me."

I hopped onto a Hippocampi who started swimming towards Atlantis. Thankfully, Bessie followed, staying close to me. In half an hour, I could see the city of Atlantis in the distance. As we neared the walls, a voice called, "HALT! Who dares enter the city of Atlantis?"

It was a merman with a Pentadent in his hand. Bessie started to fidget next to me and I immediately engulfed her in the calming aura of the hearth to calm her down.

"It is I, Perseus Jackson, the son of Poseidon."

The merman came forth and bowed. "Prince Perseus, I didn't recognize you. Please forgive me."

"You were doing your job. No worries. Can you please let me enter?"

"Of course, sir."

The gates of the massive city opened a little distance away and I entered, making sure that the Ophiotaurus was next to me. The Hippocampi started swimming directly towards the palace of Atlantis. The streets of the city were mostly empty save for a few fish and a couple of mermaids. It was nighttime in Atlantis as well, it seemed.

We swam at full speed towards the grand palace. The doors of the palace were opened as soon as I declared myself. No-one stopped me until I reached the throne room where Delphin met me.

The god of Dolphins bowed to me. "Prince Perseus, how may I be of help?" He chattered as I got off the Hippocampi's back.

"I need to meet my father. Urgently."

"His majesty is sleeping, sir. I am afraid I can not disturb him until the morning. Can you wait till then?"

"No," I said bluntly. "This matter is of utmost importance. Please call him, Lord Delphin."

"But, my prince—"

"Please."

"I am afraid, I cannot disturb his majesty while he rests."

"Then I will. Lead me to his chambers."

"My prince..."

"I am sorry, but this is an order, Delphin. Lead me to my father's chambers."

Delphin sighed. "It may not be the best idea to disturb—"

"Delphin, I'll handle dad. Lead me there."

He sighed and compiled before leading me through the corridors to the private wing in the castle. I made sure that Bessie was with me the whole time, invisible and cloaked in a heavy layer of mist. It was as strong as Alexander and I could manage.

I was finally in front of huge doors being guarded by mermen-soldiers. They didn't stop me as Delphin was there. "We're here my prince. Might I advise—"

I ignored him and knocked loudly on the door. There was no answer and I tried again. This time, I got an answer with a "Who the Hades is it at this ungodly hour!?" from my father who was inside.

The doors opened and an angry Poseidon stood there with his trident, wearing his pajamas with Nemo designs on them. "Who the hell—" He stopped short as he saw me standing there.

"Good Morning dad. I have an important matter to discuss. Can I come in?"

"But what do you want at this hour of the morning?"

"Not something I would discuss here, dad," I replied promptly.

He nodded and gestured for me to come inside, closing the doors behind once I and an invisible Bessie entered the chambers.

Calling the room I entered a bedroom was an insult to it... even though it was exactly what it was. The bed was big enough to have a sparring match on it. I also saw Amphitrite sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes. She saw me and said, "who was it Po- wait, you aren't Poseidon... Perseus? Percy? What are you doing here child?"

"I was wondering the same," Poseidon said from behind. He said, before narrowing his eyes at the space beside me... where Bessie was.

"What is next to you, son?"

"The matter I wished to discuss. Don't freak out please." I said, before unveiling my mist-work and removing Annabeth's cap from Bessie's head.

Despite my warning, Poseidon and Amphitrite panicked and jumped up. Even Bessie became nervous and started fidgeting.

"Dad put the trident down! You're scaring Bessie!"

He blinked. "Son, do you know what that is?"

"The Ophiotaurus," I replied. "Why do you think I brought her to you at this hour of the morning, and two hours before my quest is to start?"

"But... but... she has been..."

"Reborn," I supplied. "And the titans are looking for her. I want you to protect her till the winter solstice. Thalia turns sixteen the next day. You have to protect it for a week. Please, dad."

"Of course. But, where did you find her?"

"The Hippocampi found her trapped in a net near Long island. They called blackjack, my Pegasus, to call me to aid them to free it. Thankfully, I recognized what she was and took a call to bring her here. There was no one I would trust with her except you."

"That was very wise of you to do it," Amphitrite said. Before having a silent conversation with her husband. Poseidon turned to me.

"Did anyone see the Ophiotaurus except you? Cause, the mist work was exceptional. It took even me a moment to sense her next to you."

"No, they only saw me demanding to meet you on a matter of utmost importance."

"Good. I'll protect the Ophiotaurus till the solstice when I'll present it to the Olympian council. I will keep her in a special bubble from where she can't be summoned or teleported. Can you recloak her as you did so no one can sense her with godly powers? I'll strengthen it."

I nodded and snapped my fingers, recovering it with the mist. The thing was easy once it was initially done. Poseidon nodded and shot a sea-green beam at it. Now, even I couldn't feel Bessie in the current... just like Princess Andromeda.

"Perseus, you have a quest to go on." Amphitrite reminded me. "It is 7.40 on the surface."

"Oh shit. I need to go. BYE! Love you guys!" I said, before, preparing to shoot out.

"Perseus, wait. I'll just teleport you to long island. And good luck." Poseidon said before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, I found myself on the shore of Long Island. I immediately made my way to the camp, talking all the while with Alexander.

---

At 8.25 AM, I found myself at Thalia's tree along with Thalia and Grover as we waited for the three huntresses. I had prepared a lot in advance for the quest. Machine guns, grenades, and even missile launchers were handy and ready to be called forth at a moment's notice. Alexander had reaffirmed that this was going to be the most dangerous quest I would go on to date. I was going into the Titan's stronghold and facing the General to free Artemis from underneath the sky.

Easy? I think not.

The camp van was parked near us and I had the keys in my hand. Chiron had permitted us to take it, fully prepared for the fact that he would never get it back.

Two minutes later, Zoe, Phoebe, and Bianca walked towards us wearing full hunter gear. I blinked.

"Are you coming with us wearing that?" Thalia said, beating me to the question.

"What is your problem with it?" Zoe growled.

"Just the fact that instead of being inauspicious, you'll attract the attention of everyone to us!" Thalia snapped

"Leave it, Thalia," I said with a sigh knowing I needed to play mediator to stop the argument from going out of hand. "This is not the time to discuss clothes. We need to leave." I said. The two huntresses scowled at me while Bianca just looked at me. I could see that her eyes were puffy, likely from crying.

"Give me the keys, I'll drive," Zoe said firmly.

"You can drive?" I asked in shock wondering if she had a driving license and if she did, just what was her age on it.

"I can drive since automobiles were invented, boy. Give me the keys." She said with steel in her voice.

"Cool, tell me if you want to change. I can drive as well." I said knowing that I could, courtesy of the god in my head.

"So can I." Thalia chimed in.

"No." Zoe and I said together. Thalia looked shocked at our opposition.

"I have had enough of your driving Thalia," I said. "I would hate to die in a car accident of all things. So, you aren't driving."

"Excuse me? Who looks the closest to sixteen here?"

"This is not the time Thals. If we both are tired, you can drive, okay? Let us go. I call dibs on the shotgun seat."

"Who told you could do that?" Zoe asked, glaring at me.

"You want me to sit back with the other two? Tell you what? I'll drive, Grover takes the shotgun and you all girls can sit behind together so no one's uncomfortable. If that's all right."

Zoe contemplated for a moment before nodding. "Okay. But, don't you dare kill us." She warned. "Are you sure you can drive?"

"Yeah, I am. Go in ladies."

'Hey, Alexander, I can do it... right?' I asked for confirmation.

#Yes, I am with you. Driving cars is no big deal. Heck, I can probably teach you to pilot a plane perfectly in under ten minutes dude. Get in.#

I opened the door and sat on the driver's seat before adjusting my seat. Grover sat next to me and buckled his seatbelt. The girls got in and sat in the back seats. "All adjusted?" I asked, looking into the rearview mirror.

"Yep," Bianca said.

"Let's get rolling then," I said and started the engine.

---

Traffic was bad with the holidays and all. It was mid-morning before we got into Manhattan. I kept snaking my way towards the Lincoln Tunnel.

"Hey G-man, remember what happened the last time we were here?" I asked with a grin.

"How can I forget? We fought the kindly ones in the darkness." Grover replied with a grin.

"Hey girls, should we stop for lunch somewhere in New Jersey?"

"I think a little farther... Maryland perhaps." Zoe said and I nearly choked on my spit.

"That is more than a hundred and fifty miles!" I exclaimed. "It will take two hours."

"Then maybe a little before. I think you should drive a mile more, Percy. Then we can change if you want. You're a pretty good driver if I say so myself." Zoe said and I blinked at the compliment.

#She is offering you an olive branch. She wants to cooperate till this quest ends.# Alexander explained.

"Thank you. And, I think I can manage for an hour easily... perhaps even..." I trailed off as I saw a Black sedan in my side-view mirror. The problem was, I had seen the van more than a dozen times since we had left the camp. It was maintaining a constant distance from us.

"What happened?" Phoebe asked.

"A black sedan has been following us. I think so at least."

"What? We are being followed?"

"Yes. I am 90 percent sure. I have seen the van several times since we left the camp. It has been following us and maintaining a constant distance from us. Zoe, how well can you shoot a gun?"

"What!?"

"How well can you shoot a gun? Can you blow out the tires of the sedan if I open the sunroof?"

"Err... how hard can it be?"

"Do you know how to or not?" I asked with exasperation.

"...No. I have never used a gun. Arrows are better."

"Arrows may not be able to blow out a fucking tire, Zoe."

"It can," Phoebe said. "We can blow up the whole car with a single arrow if needed... an enchanted arrow. So blowing a car tire isn't tough. Especially for Zoe. She is the best archer after Lady Artemis herself."

"Very well. I'll trust your judgment. Grover, remove Annabeth's cap from my belt loop and give it to Zoe. I'll open the sunroof. Zoe, get ready."

She nodded and climbed on her seat after taking Annabeth's cap. A moment later, I saw the sedan lose control of its movement. I never saw the arrow being shot. Two seconds later, Zoe reappeared on her seat."

"See? Now don't doubt me." Zoe said smugly.

"I never doubted your skills of accuracy. Just the capability of an arrow to pierce a tire." I replied and kept driving.

I drove for nearly ninety more minutes before stopping in front of a local McDonalds. The six of us got out, stretching out limbs for the first time in hours. My limbs popped satisfyingly. "Come," I said, "Let's have a late lunch before continuing."

"I think you should ask for a takeaway rather than dining in. We'll eat here. It will be safer." Zoe said.

"Yes, open spaces are better than indoors especially considering who all we have here," Phoebe said pointing at Thalia and me. I nodded. Two kids of the big three. We were probably sending out a 'come get me signal' to every monster in a five-mile radius.

"Alright. I'll get the food then." I agreed.

"Do you have enough money, Percy?" Bianca asked.

Thalia snorted. "That guy has unlimited money, Bianca. He can buy us a whole mansion without breaking a sweat."

I just smirked and went into the McDonalds to order some take-aways. I paid for several plates of Burgers and fries along with six cappuccinos... Something nice and warm to drink in the cold weather. I gave him the Lotus Hotel credit card which I had used mist to make it look like a Mastercard. The guy swiped it and gave me the bill and the huge order. I carried everything out carefully, especially the cappuccinos. When I got out with the food and everything, my friends/ quest mates were arguing.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia was saying.

"Well… pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"And you did this with acorns?" Bianca asked like she couldn't believe it.

Grover looked offended. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right."

"D.C. is about a hundred or so miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I…" She frowned. "We used to live there. That's… that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoe stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, scullion You're calling me a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Oi!" I shouted. "I go for ten minutes and you're at each other's throats like cats! And help me out please!"

Phoebe came forward and took the cappuccinos from my hands.

"Okay, what happened?"

"Grover did a tracking spell, which shows us where to go next. It is complicated woodland magic. It shows us where we should go next. It says we should go to Washington DC. Zoe disagrees and says we shouldn't take a detour and head west." Thalia explained. "And she called me a scullion!"

"Do you even know the meaning of the word?" I asked her.

"No... but it sounded like an insult!" Thalia whined.

"Cause it was, it means a servant assigned the most menial kitchen tasks," I replied.

At this, Thalia whirled around to face Zoe. "You called me a lowly servant. Who the hell do you think you're?"

Phoebe gave me a stink eye. "Must you make them fight, boy?"

"It is fun to see the daughter of Zeus and the lieutenant of Artemis fighting like children. It gives me much-needed entertainment." At this, Thalia stuck her tongue out at me. "See? Real mature. Now, can we eat?"

We dug in.

"Hey Perce, you never said where we should go," Grover said, eating a tissue paper along with a fry.

"Your woodland magic says DC, right?"

"I think we shouldn't take detours. We are running out of time to save Artemis." Zoe said. "We should keep going west."

I pursed my lips before taking a sip of my cappuccino. 'Where should we go?' I asked Alexander.

#Well, Zoe's point is logical but woodland magic is nothing to be discounted upon. It is a complicated thing. I remember Pan had used the same tracking spell that Grover is talking about to track Ares during the Gigantomachy. While Athena's and Artemis's calculations showed a completely different place... We went to the place where pan was saying we should go. Ares wasn't there but we got a lead. The Giants had apparently laid a trap for us where Athena and Artemis had calculated the tracks. Thankfully, we were ready for it due to Pan's magic and rescued Ares.#

'Your point?'

#Nature magic is a complicated thing that sometimes defies the strongest of logic. Magic shouldn't be ever discounted. Even Athena agrees on this, however reluctant she might be. Follow what the Satyr says but tell him to cross-check once.#

'Thank you.'

"Umm... Well, Zoe ain't wrong," I said and Zoe gave everyone a smug look. "But, woodland magic is a powerful thing and shouldn't be discounted. If it shows that we need to go to DC, there might be a reason for it. Grover, do the spell again to make sure that you're doing it right. If it shows the same result, we'll go to Washington DC."

Grover did the spell again with the acorns and it showed us the same result.

"Well, we're going to DC, but, of course, the final call is of Zoe's... it is her quest after all," I said with finality, finishing off my burger before starting on my second one.

Zoe sighed. "Alright. We'll go to Washington DC. Pass me the fries."

---

We crossed the Potomac River into central Washington. Grover kept doing the spell and guided us to the Washington Monument.

"It's near..." He muttered. "Perce, park the car at the curb."

I nodded and did as he said and we all got out.

Finally, Grover stopped in front of a big building that said NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. The Smithsonian! I'd been here a million years ago with my mom, but everything had looked so much bigger then. Thalia checked the door. It was open, but there weren't many people going in. Too cold, and school was out of session. They slipped inside.

Zoe and I were about to get in when I sensed a monster. I turned and saw it was the Manticore, Dr. Thorn. He was looking around but didn't follow us.

"Hey Zoe, I want to check something. You guys go in. I'll be right back."

"What happened?" She asked.

"Nothing big. You go on." Zoe looked skeptically at me but nodded and went in.

I donned Annabeth's invisibility cap and followed Dr. Thorn across the mall next to the museum.

Thorn crossed the street and climbed the steps of the Museum of Natural History. There was a big sign on the door. CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT.

I followed Dr. Thorn inside, through a huge chamber full of mastodons and dinosaur skeletons. There were voices up ahead, coming from behind a set of closed doors. Two guards stood outside. They opened the doors for Thorn, and I had to sprint to get inside before they closed them again. Inside, what I saw was so terrible I almost gasped out loud, which probably would've gotten me killed. I was in a huge round room with a balcony ringing the second level. At least a dozen mortal guards stood on the balcony, plus two Scythian dracaenas— reptilian women with double-snake trunks instead of legs. Standing between the snake women—I could swear he was looking straight down at me—was Luke. He looked terrible. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost gray as if he'd aged ten years in just a few months. The angry light in his eyes was still there, and so was the scar down the side of his face, where a dragon had once scratched him. But the scar was now ugly red, as though it had recently been reopened.

The worst part was the man sitting on a throne-like chair. Shadows covered him but I could see him easily. He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit like the guys on Wall Street wear, but you'd never mistake this dude for a broker. He had a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone. I felt as if I were looking at a living statue. It was amazing he could even move. He also radiated an aura of command so strong that it made Ares look like a leader of a child gang in front of a war-veteran army general. He didn't need a uniform. He was a born commander.

#Because he is the General. Behold, the commander of the Titan forces, the titan of Endurance, the bearer of the heavens and the right hand of the time lord, Atlas.#

"Well?" asked Atlas. His voice was just like the one I'd heard in my dream—not as creepy as Kronos's, but deeper and stronger, like the earth itself was talking. It filled the whole room even though he wasn't yelling.

Dr. Thorn took off his shades. His two-colored eyes, brown and blue, glittered with excitement. He made a stiff bow, then spoke in his weird French accent: "They are here, General."

"I know that you fool," boomed Atlas. "But where?"

"In the rocket museum."

"The Air and Space Museum," Luke corrected irritably.

Dr. Thorn glared at Luke. "As you say, sir" I got the feeling Thorn would just as soon impale Luke with one of his spikes as call him sir.

"How many?" Luke asked. Thorn pretended not to hear.

"How many?" The General demanded.

"Six, General," Thorn said. "The satyr, Grover Underwood. And the girl with the spiky black hair and the—how do you say—punk clothes and the horrible shield."

Thalia," Luke supplied.

"And three other girls—Hunters. One wears a silver circlet."

"That one I know," the General growled. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably. "And?" He demanded.

"Perseus Jackson, the son of Poseidon."

Luke growled while Atlas said, "Ah, that one. He is an interesting one. I wish to meet him soon..."

"Let me take them," Luke said to the General. "We have more than enough—"

"Patience," the General said. "They'll have their hands full already. I've sent a little playmate to keep them occupied."

"But—"

"We cannot risk you, my boy."

"Yes, boy," Dr. Thorn said with a cruel smile. "You are much too fragile to risk. Let me finish them off."

"No." The General rose from his chair. "You have already failed me, Thorn," he said.

"But, General—"

"No excuses! I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence," Atlas said. "I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods, and you bring me a scrawny daughter of Athena."

"But you promised me revenge.'" Thorn protested. "A command of my own!"

"I am Lord Kronos's senior commander," the General said. "And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. Now get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you."

Thorn's face turned purple with rage. I thought he was going to start frothing at the mouth or shooting spines, but he just bowed awkwardly and left the room.

"Now, my boy." The General turned to Luke. "The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

I smirked. That was never going to happen. The Ophiotaurus was safe in Atlantis under my father's watch.

"Jackson and the Hunters will be difficult to dispose of," Luke said. "Zoe Nightshade—"

"Do not speak her name!"

Luke swallowed. "S—sorry, General. I just—"

The General silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Let me show you, my boy, how we will bring the Hunters down." He pointed to a guard on the ground level. "Do you have the teeth?"

The guy stumbled forward with a ceramic pot. "Yes, General!"

"Plant them," he said. In the center of the room was a big circle of dirt, where I guess a dinosaur exhibit was supposed to go. I watched nervously as the guard took sharp white teeth out of the pot and pushed them into the soil. He smoothed them over while the General smiled coldly. The guard stepped back from the dirt and wiped his hands.

"Ready, General!"

"Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey." The guard picked up a little tin watering can with daisies painted on it, which was kind of bizarre, because what he poured out wasn't water. It was dark red liquid, and I got the feeling it wasn't Hawaiian Punch. The soil began to bubble.

"Soon," the General said, "I will show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant."

Luke clenched his fists. "I've spent a year training my forces! When Princess Andromeda arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best—"

"Ha.'" the General said. "I don't deny your troops will make a fine honor guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course, will have a role to play—" I thought Luke turned paler when the General said that. "—but under my leadership, the forces of Lord Kronos will increase a hundredfold. We will be unstoppable. Behold, my ultimate killing machines."

The soil erupted. I stepped back nervously. In each spot where a tooth had been planted, a creature was struggling out of the dirt. The first of them said: "Mew?"

It was a kitten. A little orange tabby with stripes like a tiger. Then another appeared, until there were a dozen, rolling around and playing in the dirt.

Everyone stared at them in disbelief. The General roared, "What is this? Cute cuddly kittens? Where did you find those teeth?"

The guard who'd brought the teeth cowered in fear. "From the exhibit, sir! Just like you said. The saber-toothed tiger—"

"No, you idiot! I said the tyrannosaurus! Gather up those… those infernal fuzzy little beasts and take them outside. And never let me see your face again." The terrified guard dropped his watering can. He gathered up the kittens and scampered out of the room. "You." The General pointed to another guard. "Get me the right teeth. NOW!"

The new guard ran off to carry out his orders. "Imbeciles,' muttered the General.

"This is why I don't use mortals," Luke said. "They are unreliable."

"They are weak-minded, easily bought, and violent," the General said. "I love them."

A minute later, the guard hustled into the room with his hands full of large pointy teeth. "Excellent," the General said. He climbed onto the balcony railing and jumped down, twenty feet. Where he landed, the marble floor cracked under his leather shoes. He stood, wincing, and rubbed his shoulders.

"Curse my stiff neck."

"Another hot pad, sir?" a guard asked. "More Tylenol?"

"No! It will pass." The General brushed off his silk suit, then snatched up the teeth. "I shall do this myself." He held up one of the teeth and smiled. "Dinosaur teeth—ha! Those foolish mortals don't even know when they have dragon teeth in their possession. And not just any dragon teeth. These come from the ancient Sybaris herself! They shall do nicely."

He planted them in the dirt, twelve in all. Then he scooped up the watering can. He sprinkled the soil with red liquid, tossed the can away, and held his arms out wide. "Rise!" The dirt trembled. A single, skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping at the air.

The General looked up at the balcony. "Quickly, do you have the scent?"

"Yesssss, lord," one of the snake ladies said. She took out a sash of silvery fabric, like the kind the Hunters wore.

I paled. There was a spy in the camp... or worse, the hunters camp.

"Excellent," the General said. "Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. Nothing can stop them, no weapons known to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Toss it here!"

As he said that, skeletons erupted from the ground. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the General had planted. They were nothing like Halloween skeletons or the kind you might see in cheesy movies. These were growing flesh as I watched, turning into men, but men with dull gray skin, yellow eyes, and modern clothes—gray muscle shirts, camo pants, and combat boots. If you didn't look too closely, you could almost believe they were human, but their flesh was transparent and their bones shimmered underneath, like X-ray images.

I paled even more. Those Skeletons were nearly impossible to kill!

#They can be killed by the children of Death... Hades and Thanatos. Or, by crushing their skull to dust... something which you can easily do.# Alexander supplied.

One of them looked straight at me, regarding me coldly, and I knew that no cap of invisibility would fool it. The snake lady released the scarf and it fluttered down toward the General's hand. As soon as he gave it to the warriors, they would hunt Zoe and the others until they were extinct. I didn't have time to think. I ran and jumped with all my might, plowing into the warriors and snatching the scarf out of the air.

"What's this?" bellowed the General. I landed at the feet of a skeleton warrior, who hissed. "An intruder," the General growled. "One cloaked in darkness. Seal the doors!"

"It's Percy Jackson!" Luke yelled. "It has to be."

I sprinted for the exit, but heard a ripping sound and realized the skeleton warrior had taken a chunk out of my sleeve.

Well, they had to pay for destroying my shirt. I turned and willed my swords in my hand while running backward. I channeled my Earth-shaker powers in them and brought them towards each other resulting in an almighty clang and a humongous shockwave which sent Luke, the dracaenas, the mortal soldiers, the undead warriors, and even the general and myself flying back. I flew outside and rolled in mid-air to soften the landing.

I got to my feet and saw people running around like headless chickens as the museum of Natural history was reduced to rubble. There was a roar from the rubble. I didn't wait and rushed towards the Aerospace museum.

Just as I ascended the steps, the doors opened and Thalia, Zoe, Bianca, Phoebe, and Grover came out.

"We need to leave. To the van, NOW!" I ordered. They didn't even argue and we rushed towards the place where the camp van was parked.

Unfortunately, we found our path blocked by a huge cat, the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. Oh, did I forget to mention it was a monster called Nemean Lion?

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move." The lion roared so loud it parted my hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

#Target the inside of the lion's mouth.#

"I'll handle it," I commanded and tossed the van keys to Zoe. "Zoe, drive. I call dibs on the shotgun. On my mark, you guys run towards the van. Three, two, one, GO!"

I shouted and charged at the Nemean Lion with my Trident as my armor appeared on my Torso. The lion pounced at me while the girls and Grover ran.

I shot a blast of Greek fire at the lion and rolled out of the way. The lion roared loudly in pain. I didn't wait and rammed the butt of my trident into the side of its Torso and it staggered away. It turned and roared at me, baring its fangs. It turned out to be fatal for the Nemean Lion as I shot ice spikes into the roof of the Nemean lion's mouth, piercing its brain. The lion started to melt, the way dead monsters do sometimes until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

I picked it up. It was surprisingly light. The fur was smooth and soft. It didn't feel at all like something invulnerable. As I watched, the pelt shifted and changed into a coat—a full-length golden-brown duster.

"Not exactly my style," I murmured before opening the door of the camp van that Zoe had brought to a stop near me. I sat on the shotgun and buckled my belt.

"Let's go," I said as if I had just killed a baby hellhound and not the Nemean Lion.

Zoe shook her head and floored the accelerator. A second later, I started narrating what I had seen... and done, much to the shock of my quest mates.

---

We were crossing the Potomac when we spotted a helicopter following us. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one we'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward us.

"They know the van," I said. "We have to ditch it." Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," I said.

"How can this General use mortals, anyway?" Thalia asked.

"Mercenaries," Zoe said bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid."

"But don't these mortals see who they're working for?" Bianca asked. "Don't they notice all the monsters around them?"

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than we were through D.C. traffic. Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?" But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No sign of a helpful thunderstorm.

"Such a favor would require a sacrifice," I said. "I have a better option but am not willing to try it especially when there could be innocent civilian casualties."

"What do you have?" Phoebe asked.

"A missile launcher, both of godly ammunition and mortal."

"Where the fuck did you get a motherfucking missile launcher?" Thalia asked.

"It is a long story."

"There!" Bianca said suddenly. "That parking lot!"

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said.

"Trust me," Bianca said. Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. We left the van and followed Bianca down some steps.

"Subway entrance," Bianca said. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

"Anything," Thalia agreed.

We bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind us for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later we were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C. As our train came above ground, we could see the helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after us.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway."

Bianca looked pleased. "Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C."

Grover frowned. "New? But that station looked really old."

"I guess," Bianca said. "But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway."

Thalia sat forward. "Wait a minute. No subway at all?"

Bianca nodded. Now, I knew nothing about D.C., but I didn't see how their whole subway system could be less than twelve years old. I guess everyone else was thinking the same thing because they looked pretty confused.

"Bianca," Zoe said. "How long ago…" Her voice faltered. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again.

"We need to change trains," I said. "Next station."

Over the next half hour, all we thought about was getting away safely. We changed trains twice. I had no idea where we were going, but after a while, we lost the helicopter. Unfortunately, when we finally got off the train we found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here.

Bianca, Thalia, and Grover were shivering. I gave my lion pelt coat to Bianca. She was the youngest. When I gave it, she looked really shocked and so did Phoebe and Zoe.

We wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow like they hadn't moved in years. A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!'

I immediately knew the guy was a god.

#Apollo. He is going to help you in some way with your quest to save his sister.#

We huddled around his fire, Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-g-great."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoe said. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves."

"I agree. Though, I suspect, we might get some help." I said with a glance at the homeless man.

"You kids need a train going west?" Apollo(in disguise) asked.

"Yes, sir," I said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand. Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's… convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh…"

She turned to Apollo, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty as if he'd taken the flames with him.

---

An hour later we were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now because we all got our own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C. I was in a dark blue Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

I leaned back in the seat, trying to sleep. But, I couldn't. Sleep just evaded me. As I watched the sun go down, I thought of Annabeth and Artemis. I was afraid of what was happening to them under the Titans.

"You know, I am afraid for her too," A quiet voice said next to me. I jumped in my seat and my dagger appeared in my hands. I hadn't even seen, heard, or sensed someone coming in my car. I turned my head and saw who it was and if needed protect myself.

As my eyes fell on who was sitting next to me, I nearly dropped my dagger in shock.

Zeus, the god of the sky Lightning, Kingship, Honor, and Justice. Also, the King of the Gods and my uncle. And he was sitting next to me in a business suit looking at me with his electric blue eyes, similar to Thalia's, only loads more powerful. His expression was calm like a starry sky

"Lord Zeus." I greeted, composing myself. "I would've bowed but there is a lack of space," I added hoping that he wouldn't take offense.

"There is no need to do so, son of Poseidon. I come here, not as the King of Olympus but as a father. My daughter... daughters are in danger. Both Artemis and Thalia." He said in a quiet voice.

I never expected Zeus to sound so... human for the lack of a better word. I always viewed him as a king and a very powerful god. A stoic king who was a bit of an asshole and couldn't keep it in his pants. Now, he sounded... so... worried. He was a concerned father.

"Oh, I know, you may have never expected this of me... but understand this, Perseus Jackson, I am a king. I am the King. I need to be impartial and refrain from showing favoritism to anyone. And, I have to abide by the ancient laws, the strictest among all gods. Because if I don't, who will? Today, when Thalia prayed for a lightning bolt, I wanted to do nothing more than smite the helicopter... but the ancient laws forbade me to help her especially since she wasn't dying." He sighed. "I know that I have made mistakes. Both as a father and as a king. My mistakes are usually amplified exponentially due to who I am. The greater your name, the greater are your mistakes. But, I love my little girls. Nothing in this universe can change that."

I kept quiet, not knowing what to say. Here was a king of gods, sitting next to me expressing his woes as a loving father. Not a god, not a king, not one of the most powerful deities in the universe, but a father who was worried for the safety of his daughters.

"I understand, sir..." I said.

He gave a bitter laugh. "Oh no, you don't, Son of Poseidon. Not even my brothers or even another god can understand my plight. That is the reason I am the king of Olympus, child. Because the toughest choices require the strongest wills. Not even Poseidon or Hades have that. They'll cave in to the pressure of choosing family against what would be better for the world in the long run... and consequently break laws, break the tapestry of fates resulting in severe consequences that would make things worse. But, enough of all this talk. I am not here to talk about that. I am here for a vital request and to give you advice, Nephew."

"Yes, uncle."

"I know what challenges lie ahead of you... The General."

"Err... sorry to interrupt but isn't this against the ancient laws?" I said hesitantly.

"Oh, we are just having a discussion, Nephew. I am not giving you any godly aid since you have already faced the General and know he is on loose. My son has already given you godly help and broken the Ancient laws and as a consequence is currently serving punishment for what he has done. If you haven't noticed, you are traveling at an incredible speed, courtesy of Apollo. If I am to guess, you will cover a considerable distance across America till tomorrow morning. And since it is already done, I find no reason to undo his work." He said with a barely distinguishable wink.

#Ask what his punishment is.# Alexander told me.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is his punishment?" I asked Zeus.

"Since the transgression wasn't big and didn't affect matters bar reducing your travel time, he is under house arrest and is banned from consuming godly food until the winter solstice. He was going to come here instead of me but I decided I should come instead since he is under house arrest. So, do you want advice or not?"

"Anything that helps, sir," I said quickly, not wanting to miss a golden opportunity.

"Good. First, you must understand that the General is the most dangerous enemy you will ever face as a mortal. The General is the Titan of Endurance and has strength that is unparalleled in the Greek world. Using brute strength against him is suicide. His strength is so strong that he can cause an Earthquake with a simple punch of pure strength while within his mortal form's limits. He doesn't need to be a Titan to be one of the most dangerous warriors on the battlefield. His skin is an armor in itself, even in his mortal form. Do you understand where I am going with this?"

"You're telling me that while most gods and Titans rely on their domains during battle, which gets vastly limited in their mortal forms, Atlas is different as even in his mortal form he has unparalleled strength and endurance which are his domains anyways... much like Athena does with her wisdom and battle strategy domain."

"Precisely! The only way to stand against him is speed. You need to be as quick as you can. Atlas is slowed down by his huge stature but his strength more than makes up for his little slowness. And, never think that there will be a visible effect in his fighting because you landed a good blow on him." Zeus warned in a grave tone.

"Do you know, the first time I used my Master-bolt, it was on Atlas... I thought he was a goner the moment the bolt hit him and thought we had achieved a big victory against my father's forces. Then, a few moments later, he just got up looking pissed and attacked me as if nothing had ever happened! The next second, your father stabbed him with his Trident in his abdomen. Atlas removed it and punched Poseidon in his face, sending him flying and knocking him out before continuing his charge at me. I had never felt so scared in my entire existence as I felt at that moment."

#Yes, it was scary. Atlas removed the trident from his body and threw it away like it was a big toothpick before continuing to fight.# Alexander agreed. #And Zeus was in front of him a few meters away. We all expected that a hit from the master bolt and a stab from the trident would at least do something to Atlas... it didn't. It took five continuous hits, all fired within seconds from each other, from the Masterbolt itself to knock the man down. And two days later, he was standing in front of the Titan Army, leading them against us.#

"That's some serious endurance. So, what should I do, sir? I don't have a weapon like your Master-bolt." I said to Zeus.

Zeus sighed, "You need to trick him into falling back under the sky, Perseus. Like... push him under the sky and I know you have the means to do it. Like you did at the museum even though I have no idea how you did it."

"Ah, the shockwave..." I trailed off looking at Zeus who nodded. "Yeah, so I channel earthquake powers into my swords and clang them causing a destructive shockwave. It is physics."

Zeus blinked. "And you came up with this idea yourself?"

"Err... sort of it was an on the go idea during my battle against the Titaness of the sea on the Titans' ship, uncle. I was surrounded and needed to get away." I said.

"If only the idiot of my brother would've figured this out centuries ago..." Zeus muttered under his breath. I ignored it in the favor of asking Zeus another question.

"Uncle, you have fought the general. There must be some weakness you might've noticed..."

Zeus leaned back on the car's seat in response and closed his eyes. "Nephew, the General is one of the best warriors in terms of pure combat in the universe. I know of only one other who truly rivaled the general in those terms... and he is long dead. You know, when I saw you fight, you reminded me of him... your style is so... similar."

"Whom uncle?" I asked, trying to sound curious even if I knew the answer.

Zeus shook his head. "Unimportant at the moment. As for your initial question, as I said, try to be as quick as possible and try not to get hit by his weapon or fist especially on your vital points. Instead of trying to defeat him, try to push him under the sky. Once he goes there, the fight will be over instantly as he can't drop the sky. Also, his spear has a big weighted spherical pommel at one end to balance the heavy and big spear blade. And he uses it as a war hammer to hit his opponents. It was forged by the elder cyclopes before they were thrown into Tartarus by my father... their last weapon to be forged before my brothers and I freed them, I believe."

"Gee, super strength, super endurance, extreme skills, and a badass spear. Is there anything that this guy doesn't have?" Zeus's lips quirked into a small smile.

"There is a reason that he is the right hand of the Titan Lord, Nephew... He is an excellent spear user and his skills in warfare may be lesser as compared to Athena but, he is no slouch. Think of the General as Athena and Ares combined in one with added strength and endurance. That will be a rough idea of what you are up against as you train under both of them." Zeus explained in a dark tone.

I gulped involuntarily. Now Zeus and Alexander were making it impossibly scary.

#We aren't scaring you, Percy. Just preparing you for what you are going to be up against.#

"Thank you, Lord Zeus," I said and the god nodded.

"Now, as I said, I have a request... other than doing your best to free Artemis."

''Yes, sir."

Zeus gulped and took a deep breath. "This is a request as the king of Olympus. Make sure Thalia doesn't make the choice that will lead to the downfall of Olympus. You will clearly know when her moment of decision comes. Do your best to guide her to make the right decision. But... bu-but if she makes the wrong choice, do w-whatever necessary to prevent it."

My eyes widened at what he was asking me to do.

"Y-you want me to kill Thalia! Your Daughter, Thalia?" I thundered.

Zeus closed his eyes in response. "Yes. It will be a very clear decision for Thalia if the monster Artemis has sensed is actually back. It will be a clear thing. If she takes the wrong decision, you must kill her. The survival of Olympus is fundamental... the survival of the world may stand Thalia's decision. One life in the balance of millions is no math, Perseus."

Realization dawned on me. The Ophiotaurus. If Thalia sacrificed its entrails, she will have the power to overthrow the gods... making Kronos win. But, I had ensured that the Ophiotaurus was out of her reach... anyone's reach.

#Don't tell Zeus about what you did.#

'Why?'

#He may raise a fuss. Let Poseidon handle him. Don't tell him you have the Ophiotaurus safe already.#

"I know that it is a tough thing... but, you must understand." Zeus continued. "After World War 2, the great prophecy was made. It speaks clearly of a child of the big three who would decide the fate of the world when he or she turns 16. My daughter, Thalia is literally a few days away from turning sixteen. She turns sixteen on the 22nd of December. We both know she would be making that decision if it comes to it. I want you to ensure that she doesn't make the wrong one especially as her fatal flaw is the lust of power."

"Don't worry sir, I will ensure that she doesn't need to choose at all," I said confidently.

"For both our sakes, I pray the same that Thalia should not make the decision."

"Sir, I am the next in line if Thalia doesn't... will you do the same with me?" I asked.

"Well, that depends. You are a different case altogether. My main reason to distrust you is that you are the son of ol' Kelp head. But, I know for a fact that Poseidon will never support the Titan Lord, come what may. And your fatal flaw is loyalty and you are the champion of Hestia. Your trustworthiness is vouched for by some of the best judges of character on the council: Hestia, Hera, and Athena as well. Thalia, on the other hand, has been friends with Castellan and her fatal flaw is the lust for power. There is a high chance that Castellan would convince her by using her fatal flaw."

"I assure you that it won't come to that choice, sir."

"If you can do that, then you have my gratitude in that case. Now, I think it is time for you to sleep." Zeus said before snapping his fingers.

And the world went dark for me as I fell into a slumber.

---

AND... DONE!

So, I hope you all liked the twists I brought.

And a big thank you to my friend, I_amaSWITCHbot for betaing this chapter

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Dearest readers!

It is my immense pleasure to announce that I have launched my very own Discord Server: House of HPfanfictioner66.

I have created it with the help of my two very good friends. I really hope to see you all there and have fun with you all. There, you can communicate with me, ask me questions regarding my fics, give your own theories, and even... wait, why should I tell you everything here? Come over and check it all out yourself!

Discord Server Invite Link: discord . gg / 4qfP3fxdQ4[Remove the spaces please]

I will love it if you guys come on my server and interact with me there. If you have some of your own theory or wish to see something in this fic as the journey progresses, you can tell it to me on the discord server.

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Okay, as for this story, I wish to make one thing very clear: the ship is going to be PERTEMIS. Not Athena X Percy. While it is tempting to make it Percy X Athena, I have already planned things in accordance with Pertemis pairing. So, sorry to those who are asking for the pairing to be Percy X Athena.

Now, as for reviews,

Indian: I am not sure. I have it properly planned till the end of the second Titanomachy. I may take it into the giant war if I feel like it once the Titanomachy is over.

mrhunterjdavis: Well, here you are!

moose3333: Well, I hope you like the prophecy I put in.

Ladis11: well... I am not removing the plastic hairbrush scene. I may tweak it a bit but I am gonna put that cause I love that scene.

As for the Bianca thing, I know many of you guys have your own point of view but this is mine. My point was that she should have consulted her brother before making the decision. For Bianca, it might be a reprieve but for Nico, she abandoned him. Nico's whole life revolved around Bianca till then and she just threw him away without even informing him of the decision. It is my point of view on the situation. The worse part was that in the canon, she never got a chance to correct her mistake.

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Stay Happy! Stay safe! Keep smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66