LAST TIME:

"Enough!" Theia screamed, but no one paid her any heed as the two titanesses inched closer to each other, drowning the room in their power.

Luke collapsed to his knees with a muffled scream, while the Cyclops and the Telekhine fled out of the room without a second glance over their shoulders. The Princess Andromeda began to rock as the sea around the ship rose to its mistress' anger.

Suddenly, Luke rose to his feet, his eyes burning golden, and raised his sword, creating a blast of golden energy between the two, sending them onto their butts. Immediately, the sea calmed, but the lights dimmed further under the power of the titan lord.

"Enough," Luke spoke, his voice no longer his own. His eyes flared with power as Hecate and Tethys froze in their places, unable to move. "Do not squabble like children. That is no way to approach this war. I know Jackson is a warrior of great caliber. A god in a hero's body. While our powers get restricted by the ancient laws, his aren't, being a hero. But, he will be dealt with when the time is right. No one will stand between me and the throne when the time comes. Not Jackson. Not the pesky Olympians. No one!"

Luke suddenly collapsed onto the ground, releasing the titanesses from their time freeze.

"Come, Tethys," Oceanus said, grasping her arm and disappearing into a sea breeze. Hecate rotated her wrist, opening a portal, and jumped into it a moment later while Morpheus melted into the shadows. Eris, Deimos, and Phobos disappeared in a flash of light as well, leaving Theia in the room with an unconscious Luke.

With a sneer at the collapsed demigod, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, her head held high leaving Luke on the floor out cold.

Ch.34 A New Prophecy

PERCY POV

The soft music that had been playing stopped abruptly as my mom switched off the engine of my chariot, having parked the Aston Martin in front of her boyfriend's school.

"Just relax." My mom said, "It's only an orientation tour and as the new teacher, I have been invited along with you. And remember, dear, this is Paul's school. So try not to…you know."

My mom had taken a job as an English school teacher at Goode High School of East 81st, having passed her interview just two days ago. Which wasn't saying much as she was, for one, overqualified for the job, and two, her boyfriend took the interview.

But it was her position that bugged me. A school teacher of all things.

My experience with schools wasn't something I was proud of which was saying that it was terrible. I had been kicked out of three schools before finding a spot at Yancy Academy. And, I had dropped out of that school a year ago to make my place in the godly world.

And, anyhow, I hated school, especially homework and tests. And not to mention, monsters who deemed it fit to attack me between lectures.

This was not to mention that my mom didn't need to do a job, especially one as underrated as a school teacher. In my opinion, she should've been pursuing her career as a writer and not an English school teacher.

"Why do I have to attend?" I murmured, making my mom purse her lips.

"Percy," She said sternly, making me flinch slightly at the tone. "Paul has invited us. I have to attend but he wishes for you to come and see the orientation as well. And look at the brighter side. You will get free ice cream."

"Yes, it is like I cannot afford an ice cream whilst I drive an Aston Martin and have unlimited money."

My mom sighed. "Please Percy. For me. It is just a matter of a few hours. Then you are going to go back to the camp for two whole months!"

"You know that I am gonna drop over to visit you, mom," I sighed exasperatedly.

"But not as frequently as you do in the rest of the year," She remarked, unclipping her seatbelt. "Now, come on, Percy. I am sure nothing bad will happen."

I was pretty sure that my mom had just jinxed it. Wonderful.

"If you say so," I said as I spotted the man. "Your boyfriend's here."

Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an English teacher… and the vice-principal of the school.

My last encounter with a vice-principal of a school had been less than civil, considering the vice-principal was a manticore. But Paul was one hundred percent mortal.

I looked at my mom who was still in her seat. "You haven't told him the truth about me, have you? She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted.

"So we don't scare him away."

"I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy, It's only one morning."

"My experience says otherwise. I really don't want to blow up your new school, mom."

"It is not my school, Percy. I am just going to teach here."

"Give me ten minutes and I can change that," I muttered.

"Percy, no," My mom said, sounding half-exasperated. "You are not going to buy the school so you can expel any student who troubles me. Or a teacher."

I sighed and opened my door before getting out.

"Percy, you have to go through the side entrance," My mom said, closing the door. "Here are the keys."

My chariot's keys were tossed over the roof of my car straight into my hand.

"You would have to drive us back home, mom."

My mom just smiled before walking ahead toward her boyfriend.

#Don't whine, Percy. Your mom would be fine. It is her decision.#

'Influenced by her boyfriend, no doubt. She was going to be an author, Alexander. Now she is stuck as a school teacher. Not even a university professor, which was the bare minimum she ought to be.'

#Shush. It is her decision. Now lock the car and get going.#

I pressed a button on the key, making the headlight blink with a beeping sound before I strolled ahead toward the side entrance, keeping an eye out for monsters.

I didn't have to go far before I found what I was looking for. The side entrance and the monsters.

Two empousa dressed as cheerleaders, in purple-and-white uniforms, were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush me.

#empousas.# Alexander informed.

'Yes, tell me something I don't know.'

#You cannot kill them here. Too many mortals around.#

"Hi!" They smiled. One was blond with icy blue eyes. The other was African American with dark curly hair like Medusa's.

"Welcome to Goode," the blond girl said with a dazzling smile. "You are so going to love it."

"I am sure," I said with a smile. "Now, why don't you two beauties lead me to the orientation?"

Their eyes glinted.

I had them.

"Sure!" The other empousa said cheerfully, her hand creeping toward me. "What's your name?"

"Jackson. Perseus Jackson. A pleasure to meet you," I said smoothly.

#I hate to tell you but you ain't as charismatic as you think. You ain't James Bond kid.#

'Shush.'

The two cheerleaders grinned before leading me inside, nearly pressing their bodies against me. Once in the corridor, I looked around, immediately spotting a bolted room a few feet away.

"Mind if you two give me a short tour of this place?" I whispered. "Maybe we can have some fun."

#Uh-huh Percy. You ain't good at seduction. That was creepy.# Alexander groaned as the blond empousa smiled brightly and so did the African-American one.

'It worked!' I told indignantly as the dark-haired empousa lightly grasped my hand and led me toward the bolted room at a quick pace.

#Yes, Percy. Seducing two empousas who aim to seduce you and kill you is the exact way to go.# Alexander snarked.

'Shush. There are still mortals around.' I said, sensing the mortals around me.

The door was unbolted and pushed open before the empousa pushed me inside the room. Well, not pushed but nudged, I did say as I was strong enough to not move an inch even under their combined might, much less a gentle push.

I walked into what I recognized as a band room. A bloody big band room with all sorts of instruments in it.

I heard the door being slammed close and I turned, looking back at the two monsters in the room with me. The blond empousa started to walk toward me, swaying her hips.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey yourself,"

"Party time's over."

"What?"

Before she could react, my trident appeared in my hand and a spike of ice penetrated her chest. Barely a moment later, she exploded into monster dust with a hideous wail, leaving me with the other empousa. The African-American one.

"Sorry, she was not my type," I said as the empousa stared in horror at the dust settling on the ground. The next moment, I shot a beam of sea-green energy at her.

The empousa moved, dodging the beam of energy, which hit a drum set, making it explode in a large commotion.

#You need to clean up here fast. That is bound to attract attention.# Alexander said as the empousa began to change in front of my eyes.

The color drained out of her face and arms. Her skin turned as white as chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs.

"You killed my trainee!" She snarled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

"You guys are finally getting creative with the sentence, I am going to kill you," I remarked, making Alexander groan.

"I am a senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years. I am the most loyal servant of Hecate!"

I had to give her this. She was fast.

The empousa lunged at me with impossible speed, going straight for my throat.

But, I was faster as a shield appeared in my hand and I slapped her away, toward the door.

The door suddenly burst open and a red-headed girl came barreling in with a fire extinguisher in her hand.

She surveyed the scene, her eyes lingering on my weapons briefly before moving to the empousa who had just gotten to her feet with a snarl.

"A vampire!" the girl shouted shrilly as she blasted the fire extinguisher on her face.

I moved before the mortal girl could do anything more and stabbed the empousa through her back, making her explode into golden dust all over the red-headed girl.

"EW! Gross!" She said, swiping the dust out of her hair.

"Who are you?" I asked, retracting my sword. The girl was a mortal. My senses told me as much.

#A clear-sighted mortal.# Alexander added unnecessarily. I had deduced that by the way, the girl's eyes had roved over my weapons and the empousa.

"I should be asking you that! Who the hell are you?" She asked, almost hysterically.

"I am Percy Jackson."

"No, what are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You we-were just holding a fucking trident and a shield and fighting a vampire with donkey legs."

I sighed. "See, it is for the best that you don't get into my business. Now, please calm down so I can obliviate you."

"What are you? A wizard? Hate to tell you, wizards use wands and not tridents."

I snapped my fingers in front of her face and a wind ripped through the band room making the curtains flutter on the window.

"What are you doing?" The girl asked, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

#She… she is a certainly powerful clear-sighted mortal. The mist failed to fool her.#

'What the bloody hell?'

#My point exactly. You need to talk to her and calm her.#

That was when I heard footsteps rushing down the hallway.

"Come," I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the window before more mortals could come in.

"I will shout!" She shouted.

"If you want answers, you will come with me outside. Or else, you can remain clueless forever." I hissed

The red-headed girl paused before nodding and jumping out of the window with practiced ease. I followed, before running toward my car. I felt energy gather in front of me all of a sudden

Now, I had been expecting many things. A Titan, perhaps a monster. But not Artemis whom I nearly ran into as she teleported right into my path all of a sudden.

"Artemis!"

Artemis smiled softly as she took in my sight. "Percy. You need to—"

Just then, the red-headed girl, the mortal one, still covered in monster dust decided to interrupt us.

"Percy, wait up!"

Artemis's smile melted. "Who's she?"

I opened my mouth before closing it, making the moon goddess raise an eyebrow.

The girl ignored her and turned to me. "You were going to tell me something."

"Percy?" Artemis asked, frostiness creeping into her voice.

"Right," I said. "Artemis, clear-sighted mortal. Clear-sighted mortal, Artemis."

"What?" Both asked me incredulously.

#Percy,# Alexander groaned. #You are making yourself look like a bloody fool.#

"Artemis, this girl, is a clear-sighted mortal who saw me being attacked by two empousas."

"I have a name. And why are you calling me a mortal? Who the hell do you think you are? A group of weirdos? A few months ago, a girl ran a spear through me for sneezing before remarking that I was a mortal!"

I paused. She had met a half-blood before it seemed.

"You never gave me a name," I said levelly, ignoring the redhead's glare.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

"Hello, Rachel. May I ask you what happened?" Artemis asked, finally saying something.

"I saw him being led into the room by two vampires—"

"empousas," I supplied helpfully.

" —who led him into a band room. I followed and then rushed in to save his life, which I did."

Artemis raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You saved him?"

"I unleashed the extinguisher into the vampire's face," Rachel replied, waving the said object around. "Then he stabbed her with a sword. Now, can I know who the hell are you and why were the vampires chasing him? Also, how did you appear out of nowhere and why do you have a silver glow around you?"

I raised an eyebrow. Artemis did not glow her right now.

"I am Phoebe Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon, Archery, Maidens, and the hunt."

Rachel paused, eyeing her up and down. "So the Greek myths are real? The Minotaur, Typhoon, Echidna, the Furi— hmph"

I muffled her mouth before she could summon an army of monsters.

"Please do not say those names especially when we are around," I said, removing my hand a second later.

"Yes, they are indeed very real," Artemis said, unfazed.

"I knew it!"

"Excellent," I said.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she rambled on. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't—"

Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "Wait. Who are you? I mean really?"

She was pointing at me.

"I am Percy Jackson. Son of Poseidon—"

"The sea god?"

"Yes. And the champion of Hestia, the goddess of the Hearth. I am a demigod."

"Like Hercules?"

"Yes. I defeated him a couple of years ago." I replied, almost mechanically.

"What?"

"That is not important," Artemis interrupted swiftly, giving me a brief glare.

"And you are a goddess?" Rachel clarified.

"Indeed."

"Why do you appear my age?"

A part of me wanted to strangle this mortal girl by now. She wasn't letting me talk to Artemis who had come to meet me.

Artemis smiled softly at the girl. "I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters and all young maidens for whom I am a patron."

"Oh." Rachel said.

"It was nice meeting you, Rachel. But for now, I need to talk with Percy."

The girl hesitated before turning to me and grasping my arm, trying to move it up.

My arm didn't budge but I gave her an affronted expression before twisting my hand out of her grip.

"What do you want?"

"I have many questions. And I want answers. You promised me answers."

"Which I gave. The Greek gods and monsters are real and you aren't crazy seeing things you ought not to." I frowned. "And that doesn't answer why you grabbed my hand."

"To write my phone number," Rachel replied, producing a permanent marker.

I looked at Artemis who was pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

"You can get your answers later," I said. "And if you are going to go to Goode High, ask Sally Jackson whatever questions you have. She's my mom. She will answer your queries. She is a clear-sighted mortal like you."

"What's—"

"Ask her," I reiterated. "Now, I think that there is something important that she came here for. And she doesn't like waiting."

Rachel gulped before nodding at us.

"Sally Jackson, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, bye!" She said before running off back to the school.

Artemis sighed in relief before looking at me. "I had come here to inform you that your presence is urgent at the camp immediately."

"What happened?" I frowned. Chiron wouldn't send Artemis of all people to fetch me at such urgent notice unless it was something serious.

"Your friend, Grover, is in trouble. Chiron wants you to be there, lest you find out later and finish off the Council of Cloven Elders. He barely held Annabeth off from going and giving them a piece of her mind and spear."

"What did those old goats do now?"

"They are going to revoke Grover's searcher license," Artemis replied.

The fountain in the distance suddenly shot up several feet in the air, drenching nearby students, and causing a commotion.

#Percy, calm yourself!#

"Why?" I asked Artemis.

Artemis bit her lip. "They claim that the claims he made over Pan are… scandalous."

"Excuse me?"

"They say that Grover is… unworthy to be spoken to by the god Pan."

"Take me to them. I will deal with them."

"Percy, please don't kill them off."

"I won't," I promised. "Just give them a reminder why I call Grover my best friend. Just, someone needs to tell my mom and drop her off at home."

"Understood. Phoebe!"

Suddenly, the energy gathered beside Artemis and Phoebe appeared out of nowhere, her spear in her hand, dressed in a hunter's garb, making me blink.

"Percy's mom is in the school. Make sure she reaches home safely once her work is over. Take Percy's car."

"As you command, my lady," She bowed.

"Come, Percy. I am flashing both of us," Artemis said, grabbing my arm firmly.

As I closed my eyes, the world around me lurched. I felt as if my body was being split into atoms and being built back in a fraction of a second.

The sensation settled and I opened my eyes and found myself in the camp. Lush green grass fields full of strawberry shrubs laid in front of me as dozens of campers and Satyrs alike milled around.

Directly in front of me, Peleus lay, curled around Thalia's tree where the Golden Fleece hung from its lowest branch.

The Dragon-serpent raised its head to regard us before going back to sleep.

"Come, Percy. Let us go. The meeting is to start soon. I planned to bring you there to talk to Grover before it began but the mortal girl delayed us."

I nodded absently as we hurried down the hill. Campers looked up to glance at us. The Stolls and Katie, along with the other summer campers gave me a jaunty wave which I returned but I didn't stop to talk.

We plunged into the woods on a jog. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch us pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows—monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers. I thought I knew the forest pretty well, but Artemis took me a way I didn't recognize, through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers.

A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes

Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up. His horns had gotten a little bigger so they just stuck out over his curly hair.

Standing off to one side of the circle were Annabeth, Thalia, Zoe, Clarisse, and another girl I'd never seen before. I came to a stop next to them. Clarisse's stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna. If possible, she looked even buffer, like she'd been working out.

And this was the first time I had seen her in months.

She gave me a jerky nod before gesturing toward the unknown girl, mouthing, Grover's Girlfriend.

I raised an eyebrow. Grover had a girlfriend and I didn't know.

The was small—petite, I guess you'd call it—with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "It's going terribly," she sniffled. "No, no,"

Annabeth patted her shoulders. "He'll be fine, Juniper."

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth!"

The Council guy, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something.

Chiron, who was standing to their left, leaned nearer to hear their words. I remembered he was an honorary member of the council, but I'd never thought about it much. The elders didn't look very impressive. They reminded me of the goats in a petting zoo—huge bellies, sleepy expressions, and glazed eyes that couldn't see past the next handful of goat chow. I wasn't sure why Grover seemed so nervous.

I could probably take them all down with my hands and legs bound while I was blindfolded and gagged.

Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. "Master Underwood, for six months—six months— we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god, Pan, speak."

"But I did!" Grover exclaimed

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to…to him."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked quietly, walking forward.

Grover turned sharply to look at me, his eyes widening. I laid a hand on his shoulder as I continued to glare at the old goats.

The Satyrs, unfortunately, didn't wilt under it.

"I said what I said, boy. Why would the Lord of the Wild speak to someone like this one? A Satyr who isn't even normal by Satyr standards."

"Of course, Pan would speak to him," I snorted. "Whom do you think he should speak to? Three old, useless, fat lards, namely you?"

The Satyr rose to his feet and strode near me, threateningly… which was not saying much as I dwarfed him by more than half a foot.

"Enough of your impudence, boy! I give you one chance to remove yourself from here before you taste my hoof." The Satyr in the middle.

The tension was palpable but I just smiled.

"I think I will stay here."

The Satyr wasted no time in rearing his foot and aiming a round-house kick at me.

I merely caught the leg before breaking it with an audible snap that echoed through the clearing followed by loud, pain-filled bleats of the Satyr.

"Come on, goat. Make me taste your hoof." I challenged, further crushing his leg bone with my bare hands.

The bleats turned into a scream before I dropped the old to the ground and stepped on his other foot, breaking it as well.

Cruel? Yes.

Did I care? No.

Suddenly, music filled the clearing as the ground erupted around me, sprouting vines as thick as my arm.

With a curl of my fist, fire surrounded me, burning the vines to ash, just before the music abruptly stopped followed by the cackle of thunder.

I looked up and saw that Annabeth and Clarisse were holding their spears at the throat of the other two cloven elders.

Thalia stood a few feet away, her Axe wreathed with electricity as two destroyed reed pipes laid at her feet.

Chiron just stood, watching the drama and so did Artemis and Zoe. Guess it took a lot more to faze four thousand-year-olds than a simple display of power.

"I do not appreciate threats against myself, much less my friends," I said. "Next time you decide to threaten any of us, I won't even bother with the diplomatic approach."

"Do you know who we are, boy?" Silenus yelled, before whimpering as Annabeth dug her spear deeper into his throat.

"A bunch of fat, old goats with no accomplishments. Do you know who you are speaking to? The one holding you at the tip of her spear is Annabeth Chase, the oldest and the deadliest camper here alongside Clarisse, the daughter of Ares. She is Thalia, the daughter of Zeus. And I am Perseus Jackson, the son of Poseidon and the champion of Hestia. I am the slayer of monsters and Titans, older and far more dangerous than you combined."

Thunder rumbled in the sky as storm clouds gathered overhead under my rage.

"And the one you have put on trial is someone far more accomplished than you three as well. Grover Underwood found all four children of the Big Three in the past seventy years and brought them to the camp. He accompanied me on quests that would make you shit your pants. He found the golden fleece. And, he was the one to sense the presence of Pan!"

"Blasphemous! There is no proof!"

"I sensed the presence myself. So did Zoe, the lieutenant of the hunt."

"I did," Zoe confirmed. "In New Mexico. I sensed the presence of Pan."

"And are we to believe the word of the daughter of Atlas?" Silenus snarled a second before he found himself hurled across the clearing as Artemis materialized in front of him, her being glowing with furious silver energy.

"Mind your words, Satyr." Artemis snarled, holding the Satyr up with a single hand. "Zoe Nightshade has been my lieutenant for as long as your god Pan has lived. She faced off against her father in battle a few months ago! I won't tolerate a single word against her or anyone else present in this clearing for that matter."

Silenus whimpered before being thrown to the ground.

"Alright, I think we should all calm down," Chiron said, finally speaking up. "Silenus, Maron, Leneus, you all should apologize."

"A resignation as an apology would do well I think," I declared.

"Percy," Chiron said sternly. "I understand your rage at the rather unfair punishment they are trying to levy on Grover. And that too when we are so close to finding Pan while under the circumstances of war where Pan might make a huge difference. But that is no reason to dismantle the Council of Cloven Elders who, I might add, are the head of all the nature spirits in the Greek World."

"Percy not dismantling the council. We will elect a new leader for the council. These three can fuck off." Thalia spoke up.

"You of all people are defending this Satyr!" The Satyr at the tip of Clarisse's spear shouted at Thalia. "Grover Underwood led you to your death! He was the—"

Clarisse wisely dove out of the way as Thalia unleashed a lightning bolt on the Satyr, sending him skidding into the trees while burning their thrones to ashes. The thunder crackled loudly overhead under her power as her eyes sparked with electricity.

Thalia's power had grown by leaps and bounds since her fight with Aura. Her control over lightning was now simply phenomenal. Another power she had begun to develop, much to my jealousy, was flying. She still didn't go a few feet above the ground due to her fear of heights, but it was still something new.

She had begun to develop a radar of sorts as I had through the air currents around her. What I did with water vapor, she did with air, even if her sensing was quite limited as compared to mine.

The only thing where she needed improvement was her axe-wielding skills which weren't as refined as her spear skills were. She was working on it but she still needed practice. Also, no one could teach her axe-wielding because it was a weapon that only a few preferred in battle. Athena and Ares were probably masters but they hardly had time to have spars with me. In fact, Athena had canceled our lessons for the summer.

A muffled whimper drew my attention back to the electrocuted Satyr.

Now only Silenus lay on the ground, relatively unharmed as compared to his fellow companions.

"Thalia," Chiron sighed just before Thalia deemed it fit to rain another bolt, this time on Silenus.

"He was looking unharmed," She said carelessly, eyeing Silenus who was twitching. "I think it is fit to say that the trial is dismantled and there would be no revoking of Grover's searcher license."

Chiron massaged his forehead. "That is not your decision to make."

"I am the daughter of Zeus. These fat ass motherfuckers are welcome to disagree but I don't think their disagreement would live for long… or they would."

"Alright! All of you kids, out of here! Grover, you can continue your search for Pan after this summer! Also, spread the word to the cabin counselors that there is going to be a war council this evening." Chiron ordered, making all of us look at him in shock.

"Yes, please go back to your cabins. Annabeth, Thalia, and Zoe, go to my cabin and inform the huntress to stock and repair the weapons. I want you all ready for a code red."

Every huntress, Chiron, and even I froze at the words.

"Code red, my lady?" Zoe asked.

"It'll be explained at the meeting today. Just… give the orders."

#Whatever this is is deadly serious. Artemis doesn't declare a code red easily except when she thinks that it is going to be a life-or-death situation. The last code red she declared was when the hunt was to face more than a thousand monsters alongside Titans. And Thalia nearly died that day and you too were injured. And, even Chiron has called the war council.#

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Get to work, children."

PERCY POV

The word that Chiron had called a War Council spread like wildfire. War Councils weren't usually called unless a prophecy was issued, or some grave circumstance arose. That too was not on the first day of the camp.

That, with the hunt being in the camp, led to wild speculations which I ignored.

Oh, and on top of it all, Tyson was here! I had found myself quite surprised as I had rushed to my cabin to clean off the mess there for the cabin inspection, only to find it clean and redecorated.

Tyson had gone all out, beautifying cabin three into a wonderful house with sculptures that would make Beckendorf jealous. He had arrived with half a dozen cyclops as an aid from Poseidon to the camp. They had been tasked to mass manufacture weapons with the Hephaestus cabin.

Oh, and there were new additions to the camp. A huge garage, a new forge, a restocked arena, a few new pegasuses, and about a dozen new demigods.

A lot had happened in the two weeks I hadn't visited the camp.

Right now, I made my way across the pavilion alongside Grover, Katie Gardener, and Travis Stoll, who were the counselors of the Demeter and Hermes cabins.

Katie pushed open the door of the conference room in the big house and entered just before I followed her in.

Several people were already seated at the ping pong table. Chiron sat at the head of the table in his wheelchair while Artemis sat to his left. Thalia sat next to Chiron, occupying her spot as the Head of Zeus Cabin.

I moved to sit in my seat, which luckily was right next to Artemis. As there was no occupant in Cabin two in history, thus, Poseidon's cabin was directly in front of Zeus's cabin.

Clarisse sat next to me while Katie sat opposite her. On Katie's right was Annabeth, occupying her spot as the Head counselor of Athena cabin. Lee Fletcher sat next to Clarisse, as the head of the Apollo cabin while Zoe sat next to Annabeth as the lieutenant of the hunt… and Zoe sat right next to Silena of all people.

Silena was the head counselor of Aphrodite cabin and not to mention, Beckendorf's girlfriend.

And she was seated right next to Zoe of all people.

I could see how volatile that could turn out to be.

Chiron cleared his throat, drawing our attention to him. "Cabin Counselors. As you might be aware, the titans are rising. The coming of the Great Prophecy draws nearer by the day and we have less than fifteen months until Percy turns sixteen."

All eyes turned to me as I continued to look grimly at Chiron.

"Now, there is a reason I've called you all here. I suspect that the titans plan to attack and wipe out this camp."

"They would never get past the barrier, Chiron. Not with the Golden Fleece powering it." Katie said.

"But what if they don't have to get past the barriers?" Annabeth asked, making my head snap toward her.

"Excuse me?"

"There… might exist a pathway directly into the camp… from any place in the world."

"What are you speaking of?" Silena asked, biting her lip.

"The Labyrinth."

That caused a stir in the room as everyone sat straighter.

"No way, that's a myth!" Travis exclaimed, making me raise an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"Stupid boy! You live in the world of myths. Labyrinth is very much real." Zoe said snobbishly.

Good old Zoe.

"And you're saying that there is an entrance to the Labyrinth in the camp?" Thalia asked.

"Yes, there is. But we are not sure where it is." Clarisse said, startling me.

Clarisse usually refrained from speaking about matters unless they directly concerned her or bloodshed and violence.

"Clarisse has been scouting the Labyrinth on my request for more than half a year. She encountered numerous demigods and monsters serving the Titan Lord there. They are trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth to reach the camp." Chiron said grimly.

"So, what do we do? Find this entrance and seal it?" Beckendorf asked.

"It is not that simple. The Labyrinth is a structure of great power. It would take a god's power to seal or destroy an entrance… and even then, it is debatable." Zoe said.

"I collapsed a whole building with a wrecking ball and several kilos of dynamite on top of an entrance in Phoenix to seal it. The entrance just shifted a few feet."

That, I decided, sounded much more like the Clarisse I knew.

"The Labyrinth is a magical architecture. One of the oldest in existence. Its existence is entangled with the Greek World itself much like Olympus, Atlantis, and the Underworld. To seal an entrance would take great power."

"We have a goddess sitting right amongst us, Annabeth," Thalia said, pointing at Artemis. "And I am here and so is Percy. How much fucking power do you want?"

"It is not that simple," Artemis cut in. "Using such power would have side effects. Like wiping out a good chunk of the camp, if not the whole camp. I am sure that I can use my divine arrows to destroy the entrance. But, the camp might not survive it."

"So we just let Luke lead a huge army of monsters straight into the heart of the camp?" Silena asked.

"We can still find the entrance and set a defense around it, Silena," Annabeth said. "Luke knew the camp better than anyone. But, he doesn't have the resources the camp has at its disposal."

"And what might these resources be?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Annabeth.

Annabeth blinked. "Percy, you're going to ask this question? We have you, the Hunt, and Artemis! Not to mention, so many demigods and new things that Olympus has given us!"

"Luke has an army of monsters, demigods, and Titans. He travels on a cruise ship loaded with weapons that would make Ares drool. Your point is?"

Annabeth remained silent.

"We should not underestimate our opponent. Yes, the numbers at the camp are higher than they have ever been and at the same time, we have new things. But that's not enough. Not even remotely so. A few months ago, the Hunt and I faced off against an army of a thousand monsters and four Titans."

"We won," Annabeth said.

"That would only make Luke send more monsters and Titans."

"Percy's correct. The crooked one would not underestimate us again. And, when we faced off against the monsters, there were no… big-bads out there. They were an overwhelming force, yes. But nothing more dangerous than a relatively young species of Drakon."

"What if we do something to the entrance? Not blow it up or anything but like… make it impossible to come through? Or say, make it an extremely suicidal attempt to come through?" Travis suggested.

"The Labyrinth won't like that. That was why the entrance at the Phoenix shifted. Clarisse would've rendered it inaccessible due to the debris of the building even if she failed to destroy it. But, the entrance shifted, just outside the rubble of the collapsed building, plainly accessible."

"Wait, how do you access the entrance?" Katie piped up.

"Every entrance of the Labyrinth is marked with a delta symbol. The symbol of Daedalus, the creator of Labyrinth. Daedalus was the greatest architect and the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He's the only one who could navigate the maze perfectly."

"But he existed thousands of years ago. The guy would be dead." Castor, Dionysus's son said blandly.

"No one knows," Chiron said sadly. "There are rumors…well, there are many disturbing rumors about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared back into the Labyrinth toward the end of his life. He might still be there."

"Unless Labyrinth exists outside the realm of time, I don't see how it would work," I said. "Unless someone gave him immortality or he took a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides."

"The apples are carefully monitored by Hera. There is no chance that Daedalus could just steal one. That too with the Hesperides and Ladon." Chiron replied.

I didn't deem it appropriate to mention that I had two of those apples lying in my enchanted bag, which was in my pocket.

"But the time passes differently in Labyrinth," Clarisse said, suppressing a shudder. "A few minutes inside the Labyrinth is several hours outside and several hours inside can only be a few minutes outside."

#Do not ask me. I do not know much about the maze.# Alexander said. #But, if we enter the Labyrinth and explore it, I might be able to forge a pattern out of it.#

"So, there is a possibility that he's alive?" Lee asked.

"Yes," Chiron said.

"If he's alive, we must find him before Luke does and convince him to help us. If Ariadne's string still exists, we make sure it never falls into Luke's hands."

"But how are you going to find him, Annabeth?" Zoe asked. "The Labyrinth can only be navigated by two means. One is Ariadne's string and the other is Dedalus himself."

"I've been studying architecture for years," Annabeth said. "I know Daedalus' Labyrinth better than anybody."

"From reading about it," I said.

"Well, yes."

"That's not enough."

"It has to be!"

"It isn't!"

"Are you going to help me or not?"

Chiron cleared his throat. "First things first. We need to find the entrance to the camp. There is one for sure. And once we find it, someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from using the maze to invade this camp."

"It will be better if we send this quest off right now," I said. "They know the entrances to the Labyrinth outside the camp. A quest can be authorized right now and sent off to find Dedalus."

"We all know who should lead this," Clarisse said. "Annabeth."

There was a murmur of agreement. I knew Annabeth had been waiting for her own quest since she was a little kid, but she looked uncomfortable.

"You've done as much as I have, Clarisse," she said. "You should go, too."

Clarisse shook her head. "I'm not going back in there."

Travis Stoll laughed, making me glare at the boy. "Don't tell me you're scared. Clarisse, chicken?"

Clarisse got to her feet, I thought she was going to pulverize Travis, but she said in a shaky voice: "You don't understand anything, punk. I'm never going in there again. Never!"

"The horrors of the Labyrinth would even make the bravest fall, boy," Zoe growled. "It exists to feed on your worst fears and amplifies them. People go insane there. For her to survive the Labyrinth for months… and return sane, is a feat worthy of honors."

Clarisse gave her a nod before sitting back in her chair.

"Alright. Annabeth, you must consult the oracle, dear child."

Annabeth gave him a jerky nod before walking out of the room while we sat in silence.

"We must organize 24/7 patrols," I said. "The camp must prepare for war."

"I am assigning you to train all the campers, Percy. Make sure every camper can defend themselves in case of an attack. Clarisse will help you. Zoe, you are in charge of Archery for the whole camp."

Zoe made no move to protest. Her archery skills surpassed everyone in the camp bar Artemis herself.

"Charles, I want you to start manufacturing armor for the campers. Take the help of the Cyclopes that Lord Poseidon has provided the camp with. Silena, the Pegasi must be ready to fly at a moment's notice. Travis, the cars are your department. Make sure they are fueled and armed."

"Sure thing."

"I need every camper to be ready. Clarisse, I want you to set up a defense schedule alongside the Athena cabin. Leave Percy, Thalia, yourself, and the hunters out of it. Percy, the boats should be—"

"Ready and prepared to face any situation from escaping to blowing an Army of monsters," I replied. "Done before you asked."

"I am scanning the lands from my moon chariot every night, looking for monster gatherings and the Titan ship." Artemis piped up. "I cannot see the ship and monster activity has been… dormant. They just keep moving around. Before coming here, my hunt wiped out several monster parties in a ten-mile radius of this camp. I—"

Artemis suddenly stiffened and her eyes flared with silver light.

"Artemis?" I asked, touching her shoulder.

"Annabeth," She whispered.

I was out of the door before I knew it, moving straight toward the attic of the big house.

I could smell the musty scent of snakes and the presence of the oracle of Delphi strong in the air. Annabeth had received the prophecy.

I tore up the stairs to the top floor, only to see Annabeth stumbling out of the attic entrance with tears streaming down her face.

"Percy," she croaked, hastily wiping her tears. "What are you doing here?"

"What did the oracle say?" I asked, looking at her state.

"I have gotten the p-prophecy."

#She doesn't want to talk. Just take her to Chiron.# Alexander advised. #But whatever it is, is not good.#

I gave him a mental nod and led Annabeth back into the conference room, wordlessly squeezing her arm in reassurance as I channeled Hestia's powers through the touch, trying to calm her.

Annabeth took a deep breath before entering the room, making all eyes turn to us.

"My dear," Chiron said. "You made it."

Annabeth looked at me first. I couldn't tell if she was trying to warn me, or if the look in her eyes was just plain fear. Then she focused on Chiron and Artemis.

"I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus' workshop."

Nobody cheered. We all knew that Annabeth wanted to lead her own quest for years. But her voice held fear. And Annabeth being afraid… was a concerning prospect.

"What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The wording is important."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I, ah…well, it said, you shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze..."

We waited.

"The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."

Grover perked up.

"The lost one! That must mean Pan! That's great!"

"With the dead and the traitor," Thalia added. "Not so great."

"And?" Chiron asked. "What is the rest?"

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Annabeth said, "the child of Athena's final stand."

Everyone looked around uncomfortably. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, and a final stand didn't sound good.

"Hey…we shouldn't jump to conclusions," Silena said. "Annabeth isn't the only child of Athena, right?"

"Beside Annabeth, there is one more child of Athena in play," I said quietly, making everyone stare at me. "Dedalus is also a child of Athena. It could mean that he would die… his death long overdue."

"But who's this ghost king?" Beckendorf asked.

"Are there more lines?" Chiron asked. "The prophecy does not sound complete."

Annabeth hesitated. "I don't remember exactly."

Now that, I decided, was a lie.

#Children of Athena seldom forget something. That line… whatever it is, has shaken the girl.#

I agreed with Alexander.

Annabeth shifted on her bench. "Something about…Destroy with a hero's final breath."

"And?" Chiron asked.

"Look," I interrupted. "The point is, the quest is issued. We must select the quest mates, or more precisely, Annabeth should."

"You coming with me, Percy?" Annabeth asked instantly.

"Of co—"

"No," Chiron interrupted. "We need him here in case of an attack. I am not letting the camp be attacked by monsters without the most powerful demigod fighting on my side in case this quest fails. And, if the titans attack, I do not think there would just be monsters against us."

#His point is valid. The Titans won't send only monsters with you and Artemis here. They are going to send the big guns.#

"But, you can take Thalia," Chiron added, gesturing to the girl beside her.

"True," Annabeth conceded. "If there is anyone who can turn the tide, it's Percy. Thalia, you with me?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Thalia snorted, her ax appearing in her hand, cackling with electricity.

"Who else?"

"The wild god is waiting. Grover?" Annabeth asked, grinning at Grover who nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll pack extra recyclables for snacks!"

"And Zoe," Annabeth added.

The lieutenant of the hunt nodded before Chiron interrupted again.

"Wait, Annabeth," Chiron said. "This goes against the ancient laws. A hero is allowed only two companions."

"I need them all," she insisted. "Chiron, it's important."

I didn't know why she was so certain. Such things, superstitious as they might sound, actually mattered in the godly world.

"Annabeth, Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I know. But we have to. Please."

I could tell Chiron didn't like it.

Chiron sighed. "Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow after breakfast, we will send you off on this quest. Meanwhile, everyone, search for the Labyrinth entrance and prepare for the defense."

PERCY POV

An hour later, Thalia, Annabeth, Grover, Artemis, Clarisse, Zoe, and I stood on the beach of Long Island.

"Percy, why have you called us?" Annabeth asked, her blonde hair blowing onto her face due to the wind.

"In less than eighteen hours you will be off on a quest to the Labyrinth," I said grimly. "I wish I could come, but Chiron has forbidden it. Tomorrow, all help you will get from the camp is a car which you will take to the nearest entrance that Clarisse has found."

"I have been reading all—"

"Reading is not enough," I cut in. "The Labyrinth is ever-changing. It exists to defy every logic and feed on your fears. No reading can prepare you for what might be there."

"I agree," Clarisse said quietly. "The place's fucked up into seven levels of Hades. There is danger at every turn. I would just say, trust your instinct rather than your sight. Believe me, Percy's blind training saved my ass several times there."

"Blind training?" Zoe asked.

"Percy blindfolded us and attacked, telling us to defend against his blows. After a few beatings, the instinct developed. We could sense the blow coming. We could move to precisely block it. We still aren't as good as Percy, but we can hold our own even when blindfolded." Thalia replied.

"That's… interesting. I want you to give the same training to the hunt, Percy."

"Cool," I said. "But, yes. Trust your gut. Be on your guard. Have rest in between. Make sure your food doesn't run out."

"Indeed. Zoe, give Annabeth and Thalia the special arrows." Artemis added.

Zoe sucked in a sharp breath. "Those?"

"Yes. One arrow of each kind to both of them. You take two of each kind."

"Yes, Lady Artemis."

"Am I missing something here?" I asked.

"Yes. And you won't know till you become a huntress. It is a trade secret." Artemis replied firmly. "And for this one, not even Thalia and Annabeth know of it. Only my oldest huntresses are aware of it, that too due to special circumstances."

"Alright," I conceded.

She hadn't told me a few things. Like how her hunt set up their camp in a minute. Or how they could move like a shadow or appear out of nowhere while in the wild. I credited it to Artemis's domain, but Alexander pointed out that it took several years of practice and substantial power to be so intuned with the godly domains. But, even Annabeth and Thalia, who were recent additions to the hunt, could do those things.

"Also, my tent is open to you all. Take whatever you need. Guns, swords, missiles… whatever."

"A few grenades, an assault rifle, a pistol, and a few smoke bombs," Annabeth said instantly. "Oh, and flashbang grenades if you have those."

"I don't. But I am sure Beckendorf will make them by tomorrow morning." I spoke.

"And Lady Artemis, four huntress-extreme-survival pack."

I blinked but Artemis nodded. "You have Zoe. You don't need to ask me. Just tell her and she will give you whatever you need."

"Yes, Lady Artemis."

"Now, get prepared girls. You too, Grover."

The girls gave her a nod before dispersing, leaving Artemis and me on the beach.

I looked at the goddess standing beside me, still gazing at the retreating form of Grover and the girls.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" She asked.

"Yes," I said. "The three girls are each powerful enough to handle a titan by themselves. Grover's nature magic is getting stronger by the day even if he's still hesitant."

Artemis gave a jerky nod. I could tell she wanted to say something but wasn't.

"You want to tell me something?"

"I have a way to navigate the Labyrinth," She replied, making me perk up. "But I am unable to say it."

"Excuse me?"

"A way to flawlessly navigate the Labyrinth without Daedalus or Ariadne's string. But I am unable to speak of it. The fates forbid me."

"Can you give any hint?"

Artemis opened her mouth before closing it and shaking her head sadly. She looked at me again and tried to say something, but no words came out of her mouth.

"They are not allowing you to speak?"

"No," Artemis sighed. "I have a simple, highly effective way. If they use it, they'll be at the workshop in no time. But— but I cannot speak of it."

"Do I know of this way? Has it been done before?"

Artemis nodded.

"Hercules?"

Suddenly thunder rumbled in the sky.

"I can't give away more, unless I wish to risk the consequences, Percy. The ire of fates isn't something you want on you." Artemis said.

"So, I know of this way, and it has been done before?"

"Yes."

'Alexander?'

There was no response from the god in my head. Suddenly, I felt a brief pain shoot through my body a moment before it vanished in its entirety.

#I cannot speak of it either, # Alexander wheezed. #This is not the fates at work, Percy. It is Ananke herself at work.#

'The primordial of Fate? Are you serious?'

#Considering that she just warned me, yes. Our fate is not in the hands of the fates but Ananke herself. And so is the war and the outcome of every major godly war in history. Ananke allows no bias.#

"Percy, are you alright?" Artemis asked, touching my arm, shooting tingles down my spine.

"J-just thinking."

"I hope they succeed. In the meantime, let's find this entrance in the camp."

AND… DONE! Hope you liked the chapter!

Yes, Percy ain't going into the Labyrinth. So… the question is, what will be his role in the Battle of Labyrinth. Well… wait and find out!

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A huge thank you to I_amaSWITCHbot for betaing this chapter.

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KryptonWrites: The specific number is something even I don't know… because I just go with the flow especially for fighting scenes. But, Luke has more titans than he did in canon. As for Eris… you are misinterpreting chaos as a verb and Chaos as a noun. Chaos is the literal creator of the universe while chaos is the lack of order. Eris is a minor goddess, too powerless to influence Olympians.

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That's all! Thank you for your reviews!

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