7000 word chapter guys! WOOOOOO! Not much to say here, except Storm and Stone will be out of hiatus very soon. This really isn't my best chapter, so yeah. Just here to establish Percy and Reyna's relationship, and set up the quest. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy!

PERCY

"So let me get this straight. You fought Ares."

"Yup."

"Fought the furies and Medusa and the Chimera."

"Yup."

"Literally went to the underworld and bargained with Pluto."

"He was holding my mom hostage!

"Found the Master Bolt of Jupiter and thwarted the plans of the literal titan lord."

"I mean-"

"And you did this with no-one but a faun and a daughter of Minerva."

"Satyr." Percy grumbled. "And she was a daughter of Athena."

Reyna looked like she was going to strangle him. "AND YOU WERE TWELVE?"

Percy grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I was nearly 13!"

Reyna shook her head in disbelief. "I can't even imagine facing half of those monsters, let alone all of them. And at twelve years old? That's... incredible."

Percy shrugged modestly. "Well, when you're a demigod, you don't really have much of a choice. You either fight or you die, right?"

Reyna nodded, a newfound respect shining in her eyes. "I suppose so. But still, you must have some serious skills to have survived all of that."

"Or just a lot of luck," Percy replied. "Honestly, sometimes I'm not even sure how I made it through."

"I'm still confused as to how you managed to fight a literal god."

"I mean, I did it to Hades as well."

The daughter of Bellona looked like she was trying not to vomit. "Pluto."

"Mhm."

"As in, the ancient, all-powerful god of death Pluto."

"Don't know any other one."

"I… am not even going to ask."

"So…."

Reyna frowned. "So?"

"I don't know. This feels like a therapy session."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Percy leaned back against the wall, a small smile playing on his lips. Despite the weight of their conversation, there was a lightness in the air.

Reyna studied him for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "You know, Percy, you've been through a lot. More than most demigods ever do in their entire lives."

He shrugged, the smile fading a bit. "I guess. But I'm not special or anything. Just lucky, I suppose."

The daughter of Bellona shook her head. "I don't think it's just luck, Percy. There's something about you... something that sets you apart."

Percy raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Reyna hesitated for a moment before speaking. "You have a kind of... connection to your mortality. I don't really know how to say it, but you seem more… human."

He blinked, caught off guard by her words. "I mean, I literally have two godly parents, so…"

A punch to the arm. "Ow! What was that for!"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, Percy. Despite your divine heritage, you've managed to maintain your humanity. You care about people, you feel fear and doubt, you make mistakes... You're not just some unstoppable god, you're relatable. And I think that's what makes you truly remarkable."

Percy chuckled, rubbing his arm where Reyna had punched him. "Thanks, I think. But I don't feel all that remarkable most of the time."

"Well, maybe you should," Reyna replied with a smirk. "You did just threaten Mars Ultor with a pen."

"It's a cool pen, dammit!"

There was a brief moment of silence between them, filled only by the sound of their breathing and the distant echoes of camp life.

Then Percy grinned. "Well, I guess if the daughter of Bellona says I'm remarkable, who am I to argue?"

Reyna laughed, shaking her head. "Just don't let it go to your head, vine boy."

Percy choked. "Vine boy?"

A smug smirk from Reyna. " are you going to do about it?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, war girl."

"WAR GIRL?"

Percy laughed. "Yup," He said in a nasally voice. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I hate you." Reyna grumbled.

"But you love me."

Reyna muttered something about damned greeks.

"Speaking of greeks, you know Nico?"

Reyna looked at Percy. "I swear to all the gods, if-"

"Yeah, he's a greek."

"Ad corvos!" Reyna cursed. Percy subconsciously translated that as Go to the crows. "You know what? We have more important things to do."

"Such as?"

"Getting the prophecy from Octavian."

A knock on the door snapped them both out of the conversation. "Speak of the devil…"

The scrawny figure of Octavian came into the principia. "Hello Praetor. I have found what I believe to be a page of the Sibylline books under the statue of Jupiter Maximus!"

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Well? Read it."

It honestly amazed Percy how she went from giving him nicknames and joking around to being the harsh praetor.

Octavian took a deep breath.

Five shall travel to the godless land,

Three shall fall to hero's hand,

The dead shall rise; cursed to fall,

Fleeting flames shall burn through all,

Spirit and steed in the endless cage,

And legions kneel to earthen rage.

Percy sighed. "Prophecies." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Reyna frowned. "5 people?"

"I'm going." Percy said. "Me and Nico."

Now it was Octavian's turn to frown. "The amnesiac son of Pluto?"

"Yup."

"If they are going, then I shall too." Reyna's voice left no room for argument.

"What about the other two?"

Percy spoke up. "Frank and Hazel." He gave Reyna a look that he hoped said please please please just do this for me.

Apparently, it did, because Reyna nodded. "Fine. We shall leave tomorrow. Inform Legionnaire Levesque, Probatio di Angelo, and Probatio Zhang. Am I clear, Augur?"

Octavian nodded, and walked away, presumably to retrieve Hazel, Nico and Frank.

"How do you do that?"

Reyna looked taken aback. "How do I do what?"

"You like, switch your mood. It's like you're two different people!"

"I suppose it's just a part of being a praetor. There's a time for jokes and fun, and then there's a time for seriousness and duty."

"This praetor job seems like child labour. Aren't there adults who could be doing this job?"

"I hate you vine boy."

"Shut up war girl."

Their bickering was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Octavian returned with Hazel, Nico, and Frank in tow.

Reyna's voice quickly took on a more serious tone. "Good, you're both here. We have a mission."

Hazel and Frank exchanged a glance, clearly curious about what was going on.

Reyna gestured towards Octavian. "Our augur has uncovered a prophecy, and it seems significant. Five of us will be traveling to a godless land."

Nico furrowed his brow. "What does that mean, a godless land?"

"Alaska, the land where the gods have no influence."

"That… doesn't sound good." Hazel said.

"It isn't," Percy agreed. "Which is why we are going to need to be careful."

Reyna nodded. "This is a big deal. Mars himself issued this quest. We will meet at dawn tomorrow, at the senate meeting."

Everyone nodded.

Frank spoke up. "Um, Mars-" He caught himself. "My father, said I have to lead this quest."

The poor guy looked so uncertain.

"Then you shall lead the quest. A son of Mars, Probatio Zhang? You would do well to honour your father." Reyna said.

Octavian spoke up. "Well, if that's all, Praetor?"

Reyna nodded. "You are all dismissed. I would advise you get some sleep."

LINE BREAK

Percy slept like a victim of Medusa - in other words, like a rock.

He hadn't crashed in a safe, comfortable bed since… well, since Camp Half-Blood. Despite his insane day and the million thoughts running through his head, it was as if his body took over and said: You will sleep now.

He had dreams, of course. He always had dreams. That was just one of the things that came with being a demigod. Then he saw her. Annabeth.

Annabeth was running along beside him, reaching out her hand. "Thank the gods!" she called. "Are you all right?"

"Are you real?" he asked Annabeth.

"Of course I'm real. I think I know where you are!"

A snort from Percy. "I can bet that you don't."

"Percy! Where are you?"

"Like you would care. I left because of you."

"Percy, I-

Then she was gone. The images accelerated. Percy saw a blonde guy with a scar on his lip. Next to the blonde guy was a girl with kaleidoscope eyes, and a scrawny latino boy that could probably pass for a son of Hephaestus.

He saw Chiron speaking to the blonde guy in… was that Latin? Chiron knew Latin?

Percy saw blondie calling down lightning. A son of Zeus? He didn't have much time to wonder before the scene shifted.

Percy stood on the Field of Mars, looking up at the hills. Golden grass rippled, and a face appeared in the landscape - a sleeping woman, her features formed from shadows and folds in the terrain. Her eyes remained closed, but her voice spoke in Percy's mind:

So this is the demigod who destroyed my son Kronos. You don't look like much, Percy Jackson, but you're valuable to me. Come north. Meet Alcyoneus. Juno can play her little games with Greeks and Romans, but in the end, you will be my pawn. You will be the key to the gods' defeat.

Percy's vision turned dark. He stood in a mini sized version of the camp's headquarters - a principia with walls of ice and freezing mist hanging in the air. The floor was littered with skeletons in Roman armour and Imperial gold weapons encrusted with frost. In the back of the room sat an enormous shadowy figure. His skin glinted gold and silver, like Reyna's dogs.

Behind him stood a collection of ruined emblems, tattered banners, and a large golden eagle on a staff of iron.

The giant's voice boomed in the vast chamber. "This will be fun, son of Ceres. It's been eons since I broke a demigod of your caliber. I await you atop the ice."

Percy woke, shivering. For a moment he didn't know where he was. Then he remembered: Camp Jupiter, the Fifth Cohort barracks. He lay in his bunk, staring at the ceiling and trying to control his racing heartbeat.

A golden giant was waiting to break him. Wonderful. But what unnerved him more was that sleeping woman's face in the hills. You will be my pawn. Percy didn't play chess, but he was pretty sure that being a pawn was bad. They died a lot.

And apparently she was Kronos' mom? Percy didn't know how anyone could love Kronos, let alone raise him.

Even the friendlier parts of his dream were disturbing. Annabeth knew where he was? A son of Zeus? Chiron speaking Latin? Percy felt like his head might explode.

Parts of his life at Camp Half-Blood kept reappearing, when all he wanted to do was forget them. Speaking of, Nico freaking di Angelo was at Camp Jupiter. How does one demigod manage to screw everything up? With Nico here, it was only a matter of time before he got his memories back, and when he did…

Percy didn't want to think about that, so he decided to think about something else.

Of course, his mind lingered on a certain daughter of Bellona. Percy groaned. He didn't want think about anyone, especially not in this way, and especially not after Annabeth. But the heart wants what it wants, and no logic can change that. Percy found himself wondering what it was about Reyna that intrigued him so much.

The more he thought the more he thought about what Reyna had said. You have a kind of... connection to your mortality. I don't really know how to say it, but you seem more… human. It seemed to make more sense the more time passed. She wasn't wrong.

Despite being the son of Ceres, and Poseidon and having incredible powers, Percy had always felt a sense of grounding in his mortality. He had to be, to have gotten the curse of Achilles, after all. He had experienced fear, doubt, and loss just like any other human being. And perhaps it was that humanity that drew him to Reyna. She was strong and fierce, yet she also had a vulnerable side that she didn't always show to others.

He sat up in his bunk. His roommates were rushing around, getting dressed and brushing their teeth. Dakota was wrapping himself in a long piece of red-speckled cloth - a toga. One of the Lares was giving him pointers on where to tuck and fold.

"Time to have breakfast?" Percy asked hopefully.

Frank's head popped up from the bunk below. He had bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept well. "A quick breakfast. Then we've got the senate meeting."

Dakota's head was stuck in his toga. He staggered around like a Kool-Aid stained ghost.

"Um," Percy said, "should I wear my bed sheets?"

Frank snorted. "That's just for the senators. There're ten of them, elected yearly. You've got to be at camp five years to qualify."

"So how come we're invited to the meeting?"

"Because…you know, the quest." Frank sounded worried, like he was afraid Percy would back out. "We have to be in on the discussion. You, me, Hazel, Reyna and Nico. I mean, if you're willing…"

How could Percy say no to that big pouty baby face? Frank had been given a huge task that would most likely get him killed. He was scared. He needed Percy's help.

And the three of them had made a good team last night. Hazel and Frank were solid, dependable people. They'd accepted Percy like family. Still, he didn't like the idea of this quest, especially since it came from Mars, and especially after his dreams.

"I, um…I'd better get ready.…" He climbed out of bed and got dressed.

At breakfast, Percy was conscious of everyone looking at him. They were whispering about the previous night:

"Two gods in one day…"

"Un-Roman fighting…"

"Water cannon up my nose…"

"Vines moving by themselves."

He was too hungry to care. He filled up on pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles, apples, and several glasses of orange juice. He probably would have eaten more, but Reyna announced that the senate would now convene in the city, and all the folks in togas got up to leave.

"Here we go." Hazel fidgeted with a stone that looked like a two-carat ruby.

The ghost Vitellius appeared next to them in a purple shimmer. "Bona Fortuna, you three! Ah, senate meetings. I remember the one when Caesar was assassinated. Why, the amount of blood on his toga-"

"Thanks, Vitellius," Frank interrupted. "We should get going."

Reyna and Octavian led the procession of senators out of camp, with Reyna's metal greyhounds dashing back and forth along the road. Hazel, Frank, and Percy trailed behind. Percy noticed Nico di Angelo in the group, wearing a black toga and talking with Gwen, who looked a little pale but surprisingly good considering she'd been dead the night before. Nico waved at Percy, then went back to his conversation.

Dakota stumbled along in his red-speckled robe. A lot of other senators seemed to be having trouble with their togas, too - hiking up their hems, trying to keep the cloth from slipping off their shoulders. Percy was glad he was wearing a regular purple T-shirt and jeans, and not a freaking bedsheet.

"How could Romans move, in those things?" he wondered.

"They were just for formal occasions," Hazel said. "Like tuxedos. I bet the ancient Romans hated togas as much as we do. By the way, you didn't bring any weapons, did you?"

"I mean, I didn't bring my scythe." Percy's hand went to his pocket, where his pen always stayed. "Why? Are we not supposed to?"

"No weapons allowed inside the Pomerian Line," she said.

"The what line?"

"Pomerian," Frank said. "The city limits. Inside is a sacred 'safe zone.' Legions can't march through. No weapons allowed. That's so senate meetings don't get bloody."

"Like Julius Caesar getting assassinated?" Percy asked.

Frank nodded. "Don't worry. Nothing like that has happened in months."

Percy hoped he was kidding.

As they got closer to the city, Percy could appreciate how beautiful it was. The tiled roofs and gold domes gleamed in the sun. Gardens bloomed with honeysuckle and roses. The central plaza was paved in white and gray stone, decorated with statues, fountains, and gilded columns. In the surrounding neighbourhoods, cobblestone streets were lined with freshly painted town houses, shops, cafes, and parks. In the distance rose the coliseum and the horse racing arena.

Percy didn't notice they'd reached the city limits until the senators in front of him started slowing down.

On the side of the road stood a white marble statue - a life-size muscular man with curly hair, no arms, and an irritated expression. Maybe he looked mad because he'd been carved only from the waist up. Below that, he was just a big block of marble.

"Single file, please!" the statue said. "Have your IDs ready."

Percy looked to his left and right. He hadn't noticed before, but a line of identical statues ringed the city at intervals of about a hundred yards.

The senators passed through easily. The statue checked the tattoos on their forearms and called each senator by name. "Gwendolyn, senator, Fifth Cohort, yes. Reyna, our praetor, of course. Hank, senator, Third Cohort - oh, nice shoes, Hank! Ah, who have we here?" He looked at Percy and Nico.

"Terminus," Hazel said, "this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is Terminus, the god of boundaries."

"New, eh?" said the god. "Yes, probatio tablet. Fine. Ah, weapon in your pocket? Take it out! Take it out!"

Percy didn't know how Terminus could tell, but he took out his pen.

"Quite dangerous," Terminus said. "Leave it in the tray. Wait, where's my assistant? Julia!"

A little girl about six years old peeked out from behind the base of the statue. She had pigtails, a pink dress, and an impish grin with two missing teeth.

"Julia?" Terminus glanced behind him, and Julia scurried in the other direction. "Where did that girl go?"

Terminus looked the other way and caught sight of Julia before she could hide. The little girl squealed with delight.

"Oh, there you are," said the statue. "Front and centre. Bring the tray."

Julia scrambled out and brushed off her dress. She picked up a tray and presented it to Percy. On it were several paring knives, a corkscrew, an oversized container of sun lotion, and a water bottle.

"You can pick up your weapon on the way out," Terminus said. "Julia will take good care of it. She's a trained professional."

The little girl nodded. "Pro-fess-ion-al." She said each syllable carefully, like she'd been practicing.

Percy glanced at Hazel and Frank, who didn't seem to find anything odd about this. Still, he wasn't wild about handing over a deadly weapon to a kid.

"The thing is," he said, "the pen returns to my pocket automatically, so even if I give it up-"

"Not to worry," Terminus assured him. "I'm a god of weapons as well as boundaries. They overlap. I can assure you, nothing will make this weapon move from this tray, right Julia?"

"Yes, Mr. Terminus."

Reluctantly, Percy put his pen on the tray.

"Now, a few rules, since you're new," Terminus said. "You are entering the boundaries of the city proper. Keep the peace inside the line. Yield to chariot traffic while walking on public roads. When you get to the Senate House, sit on the left-hand side. And, down there - do you see where I'm pointing?"

"Um," Percy said, "you don't have any hands."

Apparently this was a sore point for Terminus. His marble face turned a darker shade of grey. "A smart aleck, eh? Well, right down there in the forum - Julia, if you could point for me, please-"

Julia dutifully set down the security tray and pointed toward the main plaza.

"The shop with the blue awning," Terminus continued, "that's the general store. They sell tape measures. Buy one! I want those pants exactly one inch above the ankles and that hair regulation cut. And tuck your shirt in."

"Um, ok."

Terminus turned to Nico. "And a son of Pluto!"

Nico nodded. "Do I have to give Julia my sword?"

"Of course! Stygian iron isn't my favourite, too much soul-sucking for me, but I can't neglect my duty. Hand it over!"

Nico reluctantly handed over his sword to Julia, who added it to the tray with Percy's pen.

"Excellent," Terminus said. "Now, remember, weapons are not allowed inside the city. It's the law. And don't even think about bringing in monsters. We had a cyclops incident last month. Very unpleasant."

Hazel said, "Thank you, Terminus. We need to get going."

"Fine, fine, you may pass," the god said testily.

Hazel did what she was told, and they continued down the path, Terminus still shouting orders at them while Julia did cartwheels across the grass.

"Is he always like that?" Percy asked.

"No," Hazel admitted. "Today he was laid back. Usually he's more obsessive-compulsive."

"Terminus isn't so bad," Frank added. "Just don't make him angry, or he'll force you to measure every blade of grass in the valley."

"And the kid? Julia?"

Hazel grinned. "Yeah, she's a cutie. Her parents live in the city. Come on. We'd better catch up to the senators."

As they approached the forum, Percy was struck by the sheer number of people. College-age kids were hanging out at the fountain. Several of them waved at the senators as they passed. One guy in his late twenties stood at a bakery counter, flirting with a young woman who was buying coffee. An older couple was watching a little boy in diapers and a miniature Camp Jupiter shirt toddle after seagulls. Merchants were opening their shops for the day, putting out signs in Latin that advertised pottery, jewellery, and half-price togas.

"All these people are demigods?" Percy asked.

"Or descended from demigods," Hazel said. "It's a good place to go to college or raise a family without worrying about monster attacks every day. Maybe two, three hundred people live here? The veterans act as, like, advisers and reserve forces as needed, but mostly they're just citizens living their lives."

Percy imagined what that would be like: getting an apartment in this tiny replica of Rome, protected by the legion and Terminus the OCD border god. He imagined holding hands with Reyna at a café. Maybe when they were older, watching their own kid chase seagulls across the forum…

He shook the idea out of his head. He couldn't afford to indulge in that kind of thinking.

Besides, Camp Jupiter was in danger. If Juno was right, an attack was coming in less than five days. Percy imagined that sleeping woman's face forming in the hills above camp. He imagined hordes of monsters descending into this valley.

If you don't succeed, Mars had warned, there won't be any camp left to return to. Rome will be overrun, its legacy lost forever.

He thought about the little girl Julia, the families with kids, his new friends in the Fifth Cohort, even those fauns. He didn't want to picture what might happen to them if this place was destroyed.

The senators made their way to a big white-domed building on the west end of the forum. Percy paused at the doorway.

"C'mon Percy," Frank said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"I could end up like Julius Caesar."

"That… was not the answer I was expecting."

Then he took a deep breath and followed Hazel and Frank inside.

LINE BREAK

The senate house looked like a high school lecture hall. A semicircle of tiered seats faced a dais with a podium and two chairs. The chairs were empty, but one had a small velvet package on the seat.

Percy, Hazel, and Frank sat on the left side of the semicircle. The ten senators and Nico di Angelo occupied the rest of the front row. The upper rows were filled with several dozen hosts and a few older veterans from the city, all in formal togas. Octavian stood in front with a knife and a stuffed panda, just in case anyone needed to consult the god of teddy bears. Reyna walked to the podium and raised her hand for attention.

"Right, this is an emergency meeting," she said. "We won't stand on formalities."

"I love formalities!" a ghost complained.

Reyna shot him a cross look.

"First of all," she said, "we're not here to vote on the quest itself. The quest has been issued by Mars Ultor, patron of Rome. We will obey his wishes. Nor are we here to debate the choice of Frank Zhang's companions."

"All three from the Fifth Cohort?" called out Hank from the Third. "That's not fair."

"And not smart," said the boy next to him. "We know the Fifth will mess up. They should take somebody good."

Dakota got up so fast, he spilled Kool-Aid from his flask. "We were plenty good last night when we whipped your podex, Larry!"

"Enough, Dakota," Reyna said. "Let's leave Larry's codex out of this. As quest leader, Frank has the right to choose his companions. He has chosen Percy Jackson and HazelLevesque."

A ghost from the second row yelled, "Absurd! Frank Zhang isn't even a full member of the legion! He's on probatio.A quest must be led by someone of centurion rank or higher. This is completely-"

"Cato," Reyna snapped. "We must obey the wishes of Mars Ultor. That means certain... adjustments."

Reyna clapped her hands, and Octavian came forward. He set down his knife and Beanie Baby and took the velvet package from the chair.

"Frank Zhang," he said, "come forward."

Frank glanced nervously at Percy. Then he got to his feet and approached the augur.

"It is my… pleasure," Octavian said, forcing out the last word, "to bestow upon you the Mural Crown for being first over the walls in siege warfare." Octavian handed him a bronze badge shaped like a laurel wreath. "Also, by order of Praetor Reyna, to promote you to the rank of centurion."

He handed Frank another badge, a bronze crescent, and the senate exploded in protest.

"He's still a probie!" one yelled.

"Impossible!" said another.

"Water cannon up my nose!" yelled a third.

"Silence!" Octavian's voice sounded a lot more commanding than it had the previous night on the battlefield. "Our praetor recognises that no one below the rank of centurion may lead a quest. For good or ill, Frank must lead this quest—so our praetor has decreed that Frank Zhang must be made centurion."

Suddenly Percy understood what an effective speaker Octavian was. He sounded reasonable and supportive, but his expression was pained. He carefully crafted his words to put all the responsibility on Reyna. This was her idea, he seemed to say.

If it went wrong, Reyna was to blame. If only Octavian had been the one in charge, things would have been done more sensibly. But alas, he had no choice but to support Reyna, because Octavian was a loyal Roman soldier.

Octavian managed to convey all that without saying it, simultaneously calming the senate and sympathising with them. For the first time, Percy realised this scrawny, funny-looking scarecrow of a kid might be a dangerous enemy.

Reyna must have recognised this too. A look of irritation flashed across her face. "There is an opening for centurion," she said. "One of our officers, also a senator, has decided to step down. After ten years in the legion, she will retire to the city and attend college. Gwen of the Fifth Cohort, we thank you for your service."

Everyone turned to Gwen, who managed a brave smile. She looked tired from the previous night's ordeal, but also relieved. Percy couldn't blame her. Compared to getting skewered with a pilum, college sounded pretty good.

"As praetor," Reyna continued, "I have the right to replace officers. I admit it's unusual for a camper on probatio to rise directly to the rank of centurion, but I think we can agree that last night was unusual. Frank Zhang, your ID, please."

Frank removed the lead tablet from around his neck and handed it to Octavian.

"Your arm," Octavian said.

Frank held up his forearm. Octavian raised his hands to the heavens. "We accept Frank Zhang, Son of Mars, to the Twelfth Legion Fulminata for his first year of service. Do you pledge your life to the senate and people of Rome?"

Frank muttered something like "Ud-dud." Then he cleared his throat and managed: "I do."

The senators shouted, "Senatus Populusque Romanus!"

Fire blazed on Frank's arm. For a moment his eyes filled with terror, and Percy was afraid his friend might pass out. Then the smoke and flame died, and new marks were seared onto Frank's skin: SPQR, an image of crossed spears, and a single stripe, representing the first year of service.

"You may sit down." Octavian glanced at the audience as if to say: This wasn't my idea, folks. "Now," Reyna said, "we must discuss the quest."

The senators shifted and muttered as Frank returned to his seat.

"Did it hurt?" Percy whispered.

Frank looked at his forearm, which was still steaming. "Yeah. A lot." He seemed mystified by the badges in his hand - the centurion's mark and the Mural Crown - like he wasn't sure what to do with them.

"Here." Hazel's eyes shone with pride. "Let me."

She pinned the medals to Frank's shirt.

Percy smiled. He'd only known Frank for a day, but he felt proud of him too. "You deserve it, man," he said. "What you did last night? Natural leadership."

Frank frowned. "But becoming a centurion-"

"Centurion Zhang," called Octavian. "Did you hear the question?"

Frank blinked. "Um…sorry. What?"

Octavian turned to the senate and smirked, like he was saying: What did I tell you?

"I was asking," Octavian said like he was talking to a three-year-old, "if you have a plan for the quest. Do you even know where you are going?"

"Um…"

Hazel put her hand on Frank's shoulder and stood. "Weren't you listening last night, Octavian? Mars was pretty clear. We're going to the land beyond the gods - Alaska."

The senators squirmed in their togas. Some of the ghosts shimmered and disappeared. Even Reyna's metal dogs rolled over on their backs and whimpered.

Finally Senator Larry stood. "I know what Mars said, but that's crazy. Alaska is cursed! They call it the land beyond the gods for a reason. It's so far north, the Roman gods have no power there. The place is swarming with monsters. No demigod has come back from there alive since-"

"Since you lost your eagle," Percy said.

Larry was so startled, he fell back on his podex.

"Look," Percy continued, "I know I'm new here. I know you guys don't like to mention that massacre in the nineteen-eighties-"

"He mentioned it!" one of the ghosts whimpered.

"But don't you get it?" Percy continued. "The Fifth Cohort led that expedition. We failed, and we have to be responsible for making things right. That's why Mars is sending us. This giant, the son of Gaea - he's the one who defeated your forces thirty years ago. I'm sure of it. Now he's sitting up there in Alaska with a chained death god, and all your old equipment. He's mustering his armies and sending them south to attack this camp."

"Really?" Octavian said. "You seem to know a lot about our enemy's plans, Percy Jackson."

Most insults Percy could shrug off - being called weak or stupid or whatever. But it dawned on him that Octavian was calling him a spy - a traitor. That was such a foreign concept to Percy, so not who he was, he almost couldn't process the slur. When he did, his shoulders tensed. He was tempted to smack Octavian on the head again, but he realised Octavian was baiting him, trying to make him look unstable.

Percy took a deep breath.

"We're going to confront this son of Gaea," he said, managing to keep his composure. "We'll get back your eagle and unchain this god…" He glanced at Hazel. "Thanatos, right?"

She nodded. "Letus, in Roman. But his old Greek name is Thanatos. When it comes to Death… we're happy to let him stay Greek."

Octavian sighed in exasperation. "Well, whatever you call him… how do you expect to do all this and get back by the Feast of Fortuna? That's the evening of the twenty-fourth. It's the twentieth now. Do you even know where to look? Do you even know who this son of Gaea is?"

Yes." Hazel spoke with such certainty that even Percy was surprised. "I don't know exactly where to look, but I have a pretty good idea. The giant's name is Alcyoneus. He has chained death."

That name seemed to lower the temperature in the room by fifty degrees. The senators shivered.

Reyna gripped her podium. "How do you know this, Hazel? Because you're a child of Pluto?"

"You could say that."

Frank raised his hand. "Uh…how do you chain Death?"

"It's been done before," Nico said. "In the old days, a guy named Sisyphus tricked Death and tied him up. Another time, Hercules wrestled him to the ground."

"And now a giant has captured him," Percy said. "So if we could free Thanatos, then the dead would stay dead?" He glanced at Gwen. "Um…no offence."

"It's more complicated than that," Nico said.

Octavian rolled his eyes. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Stupid Fifth cohort." A Lare mumbled.

The other ghosts grumbled in agreement.

Nico put his finger to his lips. Suddenly all the Lares went silent. Some looked alarmed, like their mouths had been glued together. Percy wished he had that power over certain living people… like Octavian, for instance.

"Thanatos is only part of the solution," Nico explained. "The Doors of Death…well, that's a concept even I don't completely understand. There are many ways into the Underworld — the River Styx, the Door of Orpheus — plus other, smaller escape routes that open up from time to time. With Thanatos imprisoned, all those exits will be easier to use. Sometimes it might work to our advantage and let a friendly soul come back — like Gwen here. More often, it will benefit evil souls and monsters, the sneaky ones who are looking to escape. Now, the Doors of Death — those are the personal doors of Thanatos, his fast lane between Life and Death. Only Thanatos is supposed to know where they are, and the location shifts over the ages. If I understand correctly, the Doors of Death have been forced open. Gaea's minions have seized control of them-"

"Which means Gaea controls who can come back from the dead," Percy guessed.

Nico nodded. "She can pick and choose who to let out - the worst monsters, the most evil souls. If we rescue Thanatos, that means at least he can catch souls again and send them below. Monsters will die when we kill them, like they used to, and we'll get a little breathing room. But unless we're able to retake the Doors of Death, our enemies won't stay down for long. They'll have an easy way back to the world of the living."

"So we can catch them and deport them," Percy summed up, "but they'll just keep coming back across."

"In a depressing nutshell, yes," Nico said.

Frank scratched his head. "But Thanatos knows where the doors are, right? If we free him, he can retake them."

"I don't think so," Nico said. "Not alone. He's no match for Gaea. That would take a massive quest… an army of the best demigods."

"Foes bear arms till the death of Gods," Reyna said. "That's the Prophecy of Death…" She looked at Percy, and for just a moment he could see how scared she was. She did a good job of hiding it, but Percy wondered if she'd had nightmares about Gaea too - if she'd seen visions of what would happen when the camp was invaded by monsters that couldn't be killed.

"If this begins the ancient prophecy, we don't have resources to send an army to these Doors of Death and protect the camp. I can't imagine even sparing seven demigods-"

"First things first." Percy tried to sound confident, though he could feel the level of panic rising in the room. "I don't know who the seven are, or what that old prophecy means, exactly. But first we have to free Thanatos. Mars told us we only needed three people for the quest to Alaska. Let's concentrate on succeeding with that and getting back before the Feast of Fortuna. Then we can worry about the Doors of Death."

"Yeah," Frank said in a small voice. "That's probably enough for one week."

"So you do have a plan?" Octavian asked skeptically.

Percy looked at his teammates. "We go to Alaska as fast as possible…"

"And we improvise," Hazel said.

"A lot," Frank added.

Reyna studied them. She looked like she was mentally writing her own tombstone.

"Very well," she said. "Nothing remains except for us to vote what support we can give the quest - transportation, money, magic, weapons."

"Praetor, if I may," Octavian said.

"Oh, boy," Percy muttered. "Here it comes."

"The camp is in grave danger," Octavian said. "Two gods have warned us we will be attacked four days from now. We must not spread our resources too thin, especially by funding projects that have a slim chance of success."

Octavian looked at the three of them with pity, as if to say, Poor little things.

"Mars has clearly chosen the least likely candidates for this quest. Perhaps that is because he considers them the most expendable. Perhaps Mars is playing the long odds. Whatever the case, he wisely didn't order a massive expedition, nor did he ask us to fund their adventure. I say we keep our resources here and defend the camp. This is where the battle will be lost or won. If these three succeed, wonderful! But they should do so by their own ingenuity."

An uneasy murmur passed through the crowd. Frank jumped to his feet. Before he could start a fight, Percy said, "Fine! No problem. But at least give us transportation. Gaea is the earth goddess, right? Going overland, across the earth - I'm guessing we should avoid that. Plus, it'll be too slow."

Octavian laughed. "Would you like us to charter you an airplane?"

The idea made Percy nauseous. "No. Air travel… I have a feeling that would be bad, too. But a boat. Can you at least give us a boat?"

Hazel made a grunting sound. Percy glanced over. She shook her head and mouthed, Fine. I'm fine.

"A boat!" Octavian turned to the senators. "The son of Ceres wants a boat. Sea travel has never been the Roman way, but he isn't much of a Roman!"

"Octavian," Reyna said sternly, "a boat is little enough to ask. And providing no other aid seems very-"

"Traditional!" Octavian exclaimed. "It is very traditional. Let us see if these questers have the strength to survive without help, like true Romans!"

More muttering filled the chamber. The senators' eyes moved back and forth between Octavian and Reyna, watching the test of wills.

Reyna straightened in her chair. "Very well," she said tightly. "We'll put it to a vote. Senators, the motion is as follows: The quest shall go to Alaska. The senate shall provide full access to the Roman navy docked at Alameda. No other aid will be forthcoming. The three adventurers will survive or fail on their own merits. All in favour?"

Every senator's hand went up.

"The motion is passed." Reyna turned to Frank. "Centurion, your party is excused. I shall meet with you at the Tiber."

And with that, Reyna was gone, and the demigods walked out of the Senate building.

Towards a godless land.

CHAPTER DONE BABY! Anyway, I am loving the preyna! Can't wait til they get together! How was the prophecy?

REVIEW RESPONSES!

JettShay: Thanks! No POV switches this chapter though, so you might be dissapointed lol.

DARK WRAITH 2001: Lmao, realised that slip-up. Edited last chapter, so... thanks!

spicywalnut: Yeah, been told this lol. Edited last chapter a bit. The quest will be very different to canon though, so... yeah!

Jelloyellow: Updated!

Guest: Yeah, I get what you mean. Sorry if you didn't like it.

So, that is responses over. Next chapter, hopefully soon. (Also, who should I pair Nico with?)

Thanks for the feedback and critique, keep it coming.

Over and out!