Chapter Six

We Get off to a Rocky Start

That night, our group was camped out in a Holiday Inn. After spending so much time on the ground as a kid, I was glad I was an adult with money. Sure, the responsibility sucked, but I'm used to killing bloodthirsty monsters on the daily, so it was nothing. Alex and Magnus shared a bed, while I settled myself in my own. Hearth and Blitz had wanted to come with us, but I brought up the fact that three was a sacred number in Ancient Greece. And after the final Prophecy, I needed all the luck I could get. They were upset until Annabeth made room in the Camp's schedule for them to teach classes. As soon as my eyes shut, I was transported to another place. I had been hoping the dream wouldn't return, but I knew better.

Beside me, a river of lava flowed swiftly. After going through Tartarus, this river made me shudder. Annabeth stood slightly higher than I did, also gazing upon the scene. She clutched Sophia in her arms Without warning, vines shot from the ground, binding my wrists. I tried to struggle, but it was useless. I watched helplessly as an endless horde of monsters surfaced, attacking Annabeth and my child. Blood shot in every direction, mixed with flesh and bone. I cried out, struggling against the bonds. The beasts turned towards me, advancing at a slow pace. A demigod led the pack. Chills covered my body as I stared at the face of Luke Castellan. Luke sneered at me, dipping his sword, Backbiter, into the fiery waters. He pulled it out, the tip glowing orange. He plunged it into my eye.

The dream shifted. This time, I stood in a very familiar spot. The hill overlooking Camp Half-Blood. Fire spread over the entirety of the camp. Kids screamed. Annabeth and Sophia ran towards me, calling my name. Suddenly, a wave of flames engulfed them. I watched as the heat melted their skin as if they were nothing more than wax dummies.

Again, the scene changed. I floated around in nothingness. An endless, eternal blackness. In front of me, a single flame ignited. A voice rumbled, low and guttural.

This is your fate, Perseus. You can't escape your destiny.

The ember exploded, searing my skin. A final image of my family burning flashed through my mind.

I screamed, waking up in a cold sweat.

I frantically groped the sheets for Annabeth before remembering I was. I blinked rapidly, wiped the sweat from my eyes, and sat up. The first hint of sunlight glinted through the shades. Magnus bolted up from his sleeping position; Alex stood ready to pounce from her spot. I gasped, my throat burning, along with my eyes. I rushed to the bathroom sink, gulping down water from the faucet, splashing it on my face in the process. Annabeth and I were one of those couples that told each other everything. Not because we felt an obligation. We wanted to. But how did I tell her this? Hey, Honey? So, I've been having this recurring dream where you and our child die horribly by fire. And oh, yeah, this Prophecy mentions that someone will die at a fiery tree!

"Yo, Percy, you good man?" Magnus called from the other room. I could hear his feet hit the floor.

"Yeah, I'm-I'm fine." I managed. "Just a bad dream."

I glanced at Alex through the mirror as Magnus joined her in the doorway. I could tell they both wanted to know what the dream was, but they weren't going to pry. Gods. Sometimes I wished I were mortal. Alex eyed me curiously.

"Let us know if you feel like sharing." She said. She glanced at the clock. "There's no sense in going back to sleep. Let's look at the shield and find out where our beast is."

She walked to the other end of the room and picked up the magic shield. This shield was great. I'd used a similar one when I fought Kronos in the past.

"Show us Grendel," Alex commanded.

A scene appeared, showing Grendel run through a chamber lined with torches. I flinched when I saw the flame. I had a bad feeling that I was going to die on this trip. Son of Ran. I'd be dead as soon as we reached Muspelheim. I thought about Annabeth, Sophia, Tyson, all the memories I had. I couldn't leave them. I had to live. I know Sophia's heart would break if I didn't make it back. Gods, stay focused, I told myself. I cleared my mind and looked at the screen. Grendel exited wherever he had been, pausing to gather his surroundings in the piercing sunlight. He sniffed the air. In the distance, I saw a familiar skyline.

"Good gods! That's Brooklyn," I exclaimed. Magnus frowned.

"It can't be this easy," he said. "We just got a Prophecy, and then Grendel's coming right for us? Something's wrong."

"Maybe this one's just going to be easy?" Alex suggested.

"Not with my luck." Magnus and I spoke at the same time. We shared a half-smile with each other.

"We have to go meet him, though," I said reluctantly. "We can't assume anything."

I grabbed Riptide from the dresser.

"Let's go."

We were making great progress on our way to Brooklyn. We were practically there, at Gateway National Park. Then, we met the talking rocks. A small trail led through the park. On two sides, about 300 yards apart, were two rocks. To be honest, there's not much to describe. They were just large rocks, both perfectly round. One did have a crack in it, though.

"Hiya, travelers!" one of them spoke cheerfully. It wasn't a good kind of cheerful. I'd heard this tone plenty of times to know that we were in danger somehow.

"Mighty fine day we're having!"

None of us said a word.

"Well, you're all just party poopers, aren't you?"

I drew Riptide. I wasn't sure if it would be much help.

"Blah, you ignorant demigods. Always jumping towards violence first. You never want to talk anything out," A female voice said. Well wasn't that nice. Two identical rocks. Yet one was a guy and one was a girl. I decided that the cracked rock was the dude. Don't ask me why.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"You don't know who we are?" The guy sounded hurt. I almost felt sorry for him. "Alas, it makes sense. We are not popular legend. We are the Piroboli!"

He paused. I could've sworn that I saw a proud smile appear in the granite.

"No takers? Damn Jupiter and all the gods. Does the name Terrobolum mean anything, Greek?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry, Greek or Roman, I don't know you." I responded. The rocks moved closer by five feet. The temperature increased. Magnus stepped back.

"Guys, do you guys feel that?" Magnus asked.

"The temperature." Alex confirmed.

The rocks laughed in unison.

"You cannot stop us! You don't have the power!"

I grit my teeth. I'd been told that plenty of times before. It was a pretty easy threat to ignore.

"What do you want?" I demanded

"We've been asked to stop you! We're doing just that. As we've already established, we're forgotten all the time. So, when an employment opportunity rolls around, we take it." The female rock informed us.

"And how does that work?" Magnus inquired, bringing his sword out of pendant form.

"Dammit, children! You really have not heard the legend. We combust! As soon as we get within a few feet of each other, the whole city will be on fire!"

I gulped, my dream coming back to memory. Fire. Oh, gods, it couldn't be now, could it?

I hate to admit it, but I froze. Percy Jackson, the brave hero, screwed up. I am a mortal, after all.

"We have to push them back!"

Alex headed for one boulder, Magnus for the other. The rocks continued rolling. I wondered if they were taunting us by moving so slowly, or they really just had to move that slow.

"Percy! We need some help here!"

I tried to move my body. With every inch of progress the Terrobolum made, the air got warmer. I snapped back to reality. Alex was closer, so I rushed to help her. I put my entire strength against the thing. It didn't make a difference. There had to be some way to stop it. I strained to no avail. They were roughly fifty feet away now. A flame spurted into existence on the grass. Oh, gods, we were gonna die. I tried to stab it. My blade bounced off harmlessly. There was nothing left to do. Without warning, a shout came from above.

"Qunbula!"

There was a loud pop, and the boulder I was leaning against exploded. I crashed to the ground, my nose mere centimeters from the fire. Alex landed on top of me. I groaned.

"Sorry, Percy," she said, picking herself up, offering me assistance.

"Qunbula!" I heard again. The other Terrobolum disappeared in an orangey blast.

Two figures landed between Magnus and us. Alex snarled, ready to attack the new danger. I held up my hand.

"Wait, don't! I know them,"

I stared into the faces of two people I thought I'd never see again.

"Percy Jackson?" The African-American man asked. He grinned. I returned the grin, relieved, before my smile turned grim. This really might put a twist on the Prophecy.

"I'll be damned," I said. "Carter Kane."