The children had done well in their meeting with Asklēpiós; Medea utilizing the mist to convince the god that he was actually giving the cure to Ζεύς after they had teamed up against the statue of Hugíeia. Said goddess declared that she hoped to never meet the three because she liked her neck exactly where it was. It had been an amusing scene though and Asklēpiós had laughed in the privacy of his office. The younger god had sighed when he realized that he had been tricked, but Father was willing to waive that away though Apóllōn had been ready to argue in his defense considering everything.

The only good thing about it was that if they lived Asklēpiós would not have to be locked away again since Father only locked him away when war had been declared; no need for the other side to kidnap him and have him resurrect anyone as the Titans would have surely wanted him to do so.

Back on the Argo II, they gathered in the mess hall and filled in the rest of the crew.

Percy frowned at the glowing red vial that sat in the middle of the table. 'Any of us might die, right? So we just need to keep the potion handy.'

'Assuming only one of us dies,' Jason pointed out. 'There's only one dose.'

Drew and Octavian didn't even look at Leo, but their displeasure was still plain to see.

'We have to keep our options open,' Drew suggested. 'We need, like, a designated medic to carry the potion – somebody who can react quickly and heal whoever gets killed.'

'Good idea, Drew Drop,' Leo smiled. 'I nominate you.'

"Don't call me that," Drew said before blinking. 'Wait. What... Annabeth is wiser. Octavian can move faster on Arion. Medea has a pocket dimension—'

"That's connected to Lea, and it doesn't work that well without her," Medea included.

'Besides you've got heart.' Annabeth squeezed her friend's hand. 'Leo's right. When the time comes, you'll know what to do.'

'Yeah,' Jason agreed. 'I have a feeling you're the best choice, Drew. You're going to be there with us at the end, whatever happens, storm or fire.'

Leo picked up the vial. 'Is everyone in agreement?'

No one objected.

Leo locked eyes with Drew and Octavian as he pulled a chamois cloth from his tool belt, wrapped up the physician's cure and presented the package to Drew.

'Okay, then,' he said. 'Athens tomorrow morning, gang. Be ready to fight some giants.'

'Yeah ...' Octavian murmured, leaning his head on Annabeth's shoulder. 'I know I'll sleep well.'

On the other hand, about ten hours away from them, in the predawn hours of Kalendae Augustae, the questers that had been accompanying the Trojan Pallidum had finally made their way to Camp Half-Blood. Nico was riding on the back of Blackjack while Pranjal rode on Genièvre, Gleeson rode with the one called Guido while Reyna, herself, rode on the back of Pḗgasos, the Lord of Flying Horses. There were numerous other horses that were towing the Trojan Pallidum that seemed to radiate the more the sun beamed upon it and the scent of the sea brushed against it.

Aside from that, the twelfth legion lined the base of the eastern hills, ready for a dawn attack. The onagers were arrayed behind them in a loose semicircle at three-hundred-yard intervals. Encamped along the legion's flanks were hundreds of auxilia forces. There were tribes of wild kéntauros and an army of kunoképhalos.

The Romans were badly outnumbered, surrounded by a sea of unreliable allies.

The group of questers landed on a large yacht gleamed a quarter of a mile offshore. The ship belonged to the Tenth Cabin; it was supposed to be a warship but for the most part, they went for cruises and had parties on it. A bit weird because it was still fitted with weapons even during those moments and though they partied on it, it had been years since it had been utilized at all. The ship was a white pleasure craft a hundred feet long, with sleek lines and dark tinted portals. Painted on the bow in red letters was the name MI AMOR. On the forward deck was a helipad big enough for the Trojan Pallidum.

It had been a gift from Árēs to Aphrodítē that she then gave to her children.

Pḗgasos landed on the forward deck with Genièvre, Guido and Blackjack. The six other horses gently set the Trojan Pallidum on the helipad and then settled around it. With their cables and harnesses, they looked like carousel animals.

Reyna dismounted and knelt before the horse.

'Thank you, great one.'

Pḗgasos spread his wings and inclined his head before nickering.

Hedge trotted over to translate. 'Pegasus says he should leave before the shooting starts. His life force connects all pegasi, see, so if he gets injured all winged horses feel his pain. That's why he doesn't get out much. He's immortal, but his offspring aren't. He doesn't want them to suffer on his account. He's asked the other horses to stay with us, to help us complete our mission.'

'I understand,' Reyna said. 'Thank you.'

Pḗgasos whinnied.

Hedge's eyes widened. He choked back a sob, then fished a handkerchief out of his backpack and dabbed his eyes.

'Coach?' Nico frowned with concern. 'What did Pegasus say?'

'He – he says he didn't come to us in person because of my message.' Hedge turned to Reyna. 'He did it because of you. He experiences the feelings of all winged horses. He followed your friendship with Scipio. Pegasus says he's never been more touched by a demigod's compassion for a winged horse aside from Drew and Leaneira and the latter is scared of them. He gives you the title Horse Friend. This is a great honour.'

"Indeed, it is," Poseidón murmured. "Make sure that she does not squander his affection."

Bellōna inclined her head.

Reyna bowed her head. 'Thank you, lord.'

Pḗgasos pawed the deck. The other winged horses whinnied in salute. Then their sire launched himself upward and spiralled into the night.

Hedge stared at the clouds in amazement. 'Pegasus hasn't shown himself in hundreds of years.' He patted Reyna on the back. 'You did good, Roman.'

'Nico, we should check the ship,' Reyna said. 'If there's anyone aboard –'

'Way ahead of you.' He stroked Blackjack's muzzle. 'I sense two mortals asleep in the main cabin. Nobody else. I'm no child of Hypnos, but I've sent some deep dreams their way. Should be enough to keep them snoozing until well after sunrise.'

Mercurius wondered if he should continue to watch as the legion sent their welcoming committee, but he was also literally falling apart at the seams; the chill of the Netherworld that lingered within his essence freezing the air around him. He didn't want Apollō to waste his time attempting to heal him and keeping him together especially since every moment that Níkē and Victoria screeched worsened his form and his simádi psychís was beginning to chafe and bleed and twas terrifying enough starting to blur around the edges as if it were to fade.

A scream erupted from the screen and Mercurius' head snapped up to watch as an arrow hit the deck between Reyna's feet while Blackjack laid collapsed on the deck with an arrow in his flank.

'I wouldn't move, praetor!' And Mercurius turned his gaze onto Dêlos where his sister was being comforted by their Brother.

Looking back at the screens, he saw Ōríōn standing on the surface of the water, fifty feet to starboard, an arrow nocked in his bow. He had new scars. His fight with the Hunters had left him with mottled grey and pink scar tissue on his arms and face, so he looked like a bruised peach in the process of rotting. The mechanical eye on his left side was dark. His hair had burned away, leaving only ragged patches. His nose was swollen and red.

Regrettably, the giant still had his smug smile.

At Reyna's feet, the timer on the arrow read: 4:42.

'Explosive arrows are very touchy,' said Ōríōn. 'Once they're embedded, even the slightest motion can set them off. I wouldn't want you to miss the last four minutes of your life.'

The pegasi clopped nervously around the Trojan Pallidum.

Dawn began to break.

'What of my sister?'

Ōríōn's white teeth flashed in his ruined face. 'I would love to tell you she is dead. I would love to see the pain on your face. Alas, as far as I know, your sister still lives. So do Thalia Grace and her annoying Hunters. Even your darling Lilith and those on that stupid boat. They surprised me, I'll admit. I was forced into the sea to escape them. For the past few days I have been wounded and in pain, healing slowly, building a new bow. But don't worry, Praetor. You will die first. Your precious statue will be burned in a great conflagration. After Gaía has risen, when the mortal world is ending, I will find your sister and your lover. I will tell them you died painfully. Then I will kill them.' He grinned. 'So all is well!'

3:54.

'So.' Reyna glared at Ōríōn. 'You're damaged and ugly, but not dead. I suppose that means I'll need the help of a god to kill you.'

Ōríōn chuckled. 'Sadly, you Romans have never been very good at summoning gods to your aid. I guess they don't think much of you, eh?'

Reyna laughed while Bellōna and Athḗnē shared respectful nods. 'Ah, Orion.'

The giant's smile wavered. 'You have a strange sense of humour, girl. What are you laughing about?'

'Bellona has answered my prayer. She doesn't fight my battles for me. She doesn't guarantee me easy victory. She grants me opportunities to prove myself. She gives me strong enemies and potential allies.'

Ōríōn's left eye sparked. 'You speak nonsense. A column of fire is about to destroy you and your precious Greek statue. No ally can help you. Your mother has abandoned you as you abandoned your legion.'

'But she hasn't,' Reyna said. 'Bellona wasn't just a war goddess. She wasn't like the Greek Enyo, who was simply an embodiment of carnage. Bellona's Temple was where Romans greeted foreign ambassadors. Wars were declared there, but peace treaties were also negotiated – lasting peace, based on strength.'

3:01.

Reyna drew her knife. 'Bellona gave me the chance to make peace with the Greeks and increase the strength of Rome. I took it. If I die, I will die defending that cause. So I say my mother is with me today. She will add her strength to mine. Shoot your arrow, Orion. It won't matter. When I throw this blade and pierce your heart, you will die.'

Ōríōn stood motionless on the waves. His face was a mask of concentration. His one good eye blinked amber.

'A bluff,' he growled. 'I've killed hundreds like you: girls playing at war, pretending they are the equal to giants! I will not grant you a quick death, Praetor. I will watch you burn, the way the Hunters burned me.'

2:31.

Blackjack wheezed, kicking his legs against the deck. The sky was turning pink. A wind from the shore caught the camouflage netting on the Trojan Pallidum and stripped it away, sending the silvery cloth rippling across the Sound. The Trojan Pallidum gleamed in the early light and the strangest thing seemed to be happening.

Reyna inclined her head to the Trojan Pallidum. 'My lady, it has been my honour to escort you.'

Ōríōn scoffed. 'Talking to enemy statues now? Futile. You have roughly two minutes of life.'

'Oh, but I don't abide by your time frame, giant,' Reyna said. 'A Roman does not wait for death. She seeks it out and meets it on her own terms.'

She threw her knife. It hit true – right in the middle of the giant's chest.

Ōríōn bellowed in agony, and Reyna flung her cloak in front of her and fell on the explosive arrow.

The arrow detonated, but the explosion made only the smallest pop, like an overinflated balloon.

That was not the most astonishing part. Όχι, what managed to make all of them inhaled sharply, managed to make Athḗnē sink to the ground, her knees crashing against the marble harshly, that made Poseidón, Amphitrítē and Trítōn blink away the tears in their eyes…

The daughter of Trítōn; the blessing of Athḗnē and Diomēdēs, Pallás with her ivory skin and a dress of gold; with her pale blue eyes that looked grey under the approaching sunlight. In her left hand, she held aloft a javelin as long as a surfboard and in her right hand, she hefted a shield as big as a billboard.

Pallás, warrior goddess-númphē of Libúē, gazed around her, eyes lingering on the pegasi that stood on the deck staring at her in amazement before moving towards the demigoddess that bowed before her.

"Rise," she commanded, and, in a trance, Reyna got to her feet. Mercurius blinked as he saw the way that her purple cloak glittered as if woven through with filaments of Imperial gold. "Accept the aigís, child. Accept the gift of her Lady Athḗnē."

Athḗnē blinked away tears as she smiled. "For today, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, has proven herself a hero of Ólumpos."

Reyna stared in amazement at Pallás who was glowing with a faint golden aura. The daughter of Trítōn turned away from her, turning her piercing eyes onto Ōríōn, still roaring in pain as he staggered across the surface of the water.

'You have failed!' He clawed Reyna's knife from his chest and tossed it into the waves. 'I still live!'

He drew his bow and fired, but Pallás swung her shield, and the arrow was knocked off course while the shield clonked the giant across the head, knocking him down into the waves though he was quick to stand once more.

"You dare to attack a maiden before me," Pallás sneered, twirling her javelin in hand before pointing it definitely at Ōríōn. "One that is favored by her Lady Athḗnē? Tis seems that time may have moved on, but men clearly still think less with their brains. I've killed hundreds like you: boys playing at war, pretending they are the equal to gods!"

Mercurius should not find it so amusing that she didn't even know that he was divine born and still found him inadequate.

She charged the giant, noticing seeming to notice how behind her, Reyna charged to the railing and leaped at the giant.

Reyna grabbed the giant's bow and swung around on it like a gymnast, landing on the giant's back. She locked her legs around his waist, then twisted her cloak into a rope and pulled it across Ōríōn's neck with all her might.

On Dêlos, Ártemis clutched her throat.

Ōríōn dropped his bow, clutching at the glimmering fabric, but his fingers steamed and blistered when he touched it.

Reyna pulled tighter while Pallás stabbed him so deeply that the point came out of his back.

'This is for Phoebe,' Reyna snarled in his ear as she glowed with the power of her Mother and Athḗnē. 'For Kinzie. For all those you killed. You will die at the hands of a girl.'

Ōríōn thrashed and fought and Ártemis thrashed and fought, but Reyna's will was unshakable. Pallás growled as she pressed even closer to him. "From the rivers to the sea; everything that belongs to it shall return to it, and now and forever more, may you be one with the waves. Unseeing and unmoving but ever laughing."

The giant crumpled to his knees and sank in the water and Ártemis shuddered as the bond she shared with him soothed. Reyna didn't let go until he ceased to thrash, and his body dissolved into sea foam. His mechanical eye disappeared beneath the waves. His bow began to sink, but Pallás grabbed it, eyeing it curiously as she held her spear aloft before raising it to the heavens as if she were going to place it in the stars.

Pallás turned to the demigoddess, tilting her head yet she said nothing as she turned and flashed away to her home with her family that have longed awaited her.

Reyna swam for the yacht.

And for the first time in centuries, Athḗnē rid herself of all her armor and weapons and bared herself to the world as she cried, letting go of millennia of grief and welcoming a new era of relief.

Lea felt as if she was back in Kállos' world with how quickly things changed. Though in this case, she could admit that it was somewhat her fault. She didn't understand everything that was going on, but she knew for a fact that she was in danger. Her mageia had manifested around her, crafting a trusty and impenetrable shield the moment that the golden shafted arrow aimed itself at her heart.

She had been very confused because who was trying to assassinate her? She hadn't even managed to hold an actual conversation with anyone since she had arrived, but the moment that she picked up the arrow... it began to frost over. Lea could only stare at it. That was not one of her powers despite the fact that she did have spells for snow and ice. She had not had time to investigate further as more and more arrows rained down on her person, and she had taken off in a sprint if only to save the innocents around her.

Innocents that she had belatedly realized were starting to freeze over also as if she had Medusa's stone generating stare which turned people in life sized icicles instead. It was only by sheer luck depending on how one saw it that she managed to learn just who was attacking her.

Lady Artemis and her Apóllōn.

And people had the audacity to laugh when she said that Apóllōn was a personified crime to humanity!

She had started trying to hide with the people, but the people were just freezing over quicker and again, that was not one of her powers. But she bore witness to the shades of green that spoke of the nature's soul, of fresh wands of grass and new buds, the sweet hue of spring clover once teeming with life, slowly begin to lie beneath a crystalline veneer, frozen in stillness.

It look nothing like Pterophoros, beneath the southern slopes. This looked ghastly; like a goddamn horror movie which was made everything all the worse as the arrows began to pierce her shields faster than she could strengthen them.

There was a palpable dramatic tension that builds as dark clouds gather, and the air grows heavy with anticipation, but she could pay no attention that, watching in despair as her hands turned bony and she just wondered what kind of goddamn arrows were they shooting at her, and could they stop?

And then she remembered that Illness and wasting old age didn't exist in Hyperborea; snow only happened in Pterophoros, and she could sense the way that animals within the river were dying the longer that she stayed near.

Was this because of her connection to Hermes? It didn't affect the land when she had visited it in her world? Around her, there was a symphony of howling winds and swirling snow that made it hard to watch where she was going, not that she really knew where she was going except for the vague feeling in her gut. The howls of wolves echoed in the distance, and she was reminded very much of the fact that Lady Leto went to Delos from Hyperborea accompanied by a pack of wolves. Henceforth, Hyperborea became Apóllōn's winter home and wolves became sacred to him. He had the epithet of Lyceus, meaning wolf-like and he was also the wolf-slayer in his role as the god who protected flocks from predators.

Lea was so not into being a scooby snack.

She rushed through the gardens of Apóllōn only being able to not be struck down by the Twin Archers because of her shields keeping away fatal wounds and her desperate teleporting, though for Fates' sake, could her world walking not kick in? Fuck asking him for help! Get her away from him!

The river raised around her, twirling about her like armor and she clutched at the amber gems in the shape of tears; absently, she remembered something about them being the tears of Apóllōn, but she threw them towards the land where the wolves awaited her, and they were transmuted into doggie treats as she rushed further and further away. The temperatures plummet even more, and the snow blankets the land in a quiet serenity, and she channeled mageia into her ears, so she was able to hear when arrows began to fly through the air as she dodged, he fierce, one-eyed Arimaspoi tribe as she rushed through the valleys.

Not that any of it mattered as she yanked the arrows out, waving her hand absently over her wounds as she kept going.

Come on, stupid walking powers. My legs are clearly working fine. Let's go!

She soon found herself standing on the peaks of the mountains; that chill that followed after frozen over the gold-guarding griffins.

An arrow pierced her foot, and she cursed as she fell down, but she ripped it out soon enough and allowed her mageia to stitch it back together. Below her, her soul and mageia screamed, and she knew exactly what she needed to do as she let her power seep into the earth.

Soon, a golden shafted arrow made from what she recognized as Yew, the arrowhead glimmered with what she recognized as a mixture of adamantine and celestial bronze and imperial gold. It was a deadly thing, and if this was... well, if this was the arrow that she thought it was then, no wonder it got the job done.

She figured that she had been right either way when she heard the roar of anger in the distance.

Leaneíras turned, standing on shaky feet as she brandished the arrow; the arrow that had once been used to slay the cyclops.

She remembered back in Hyperborea when she first felt its power.

It felt like a lifetime ago; it was a lifetime ago.

Lifetimes to be exact.

It had called to her then just as it called to now.

Though she was bleeding from the various wounds on her body, she faced the twins. Leaneíras didn't care about "life after death"; had never cared if she was being honest, but if she was going to go down, she would face it head on.

She just wished that she had a chance to see her family one last time.

WORD COUNT: 3892

COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR:

1) The others didn't see the full picture. To storm or fire the world must fall – Jason or Leo. In Olympia, Nike had warned that one of the four demigods present would die: Percy, Medea, Frank or Leo. Only one name overlapped those two lists: Leo. And, if Leo's plan was going to work, he couldn't have anybody else close by when he pulled the trigger.

1A) Not a good argument because as it had been previously pointed out... Percy can also summon storms. Leo still overlapped both lists, but to ignore Percy in it was also wild.

1B) And didn't Frank blow himself up in TOA? The wikia said he did. Why he couldn't have flew Gaía into the air and do the same thing? Like hmm... wtv, not my circus. not my monkeys

1C) Rick was clearly just ready to end this series because nothing was starting to make sense at the end.

2) 'Reyna Ramírez-Arellano,' Michael said, like he was reading a scroll, 'former praetor –'

'I am praetor,' Reyna corrected. 'Unless I have been removed by a vote of the full senate. Is that the case?'

Michael sighed heavily. His heart didn't seem to be in his task. 'I have orders to arrest you and hold you for trial.'

'On whose authority?'

'You know whose –'

'On what charges?'

'Listen, Reyna –' Michael rubbed his palm across his forehead, like it might wipe away his headache – 'I don't like this any more than you do. But I have my orders.'

'Illegal orders.'

'It's too late for argument. Octavian has assumed emergency powers. The legion is behind him.'

2A) No ma'am. That is not how that shit works even in Ancient Roma. The moment that you abandon your post; desert your position... you are stripped from your position to stand for treason. There may be a trial afterwards to decide if said charge should be dropped but until the war between the camps was over... you were very much a traitor and had no political standing.

2B) Again, Rick was clearly just ready to end this series.

3) You are a Ramírez-Arellano! her father used to rant. Never abandon your post. Never let anyone in. Above all, never betray your own! By helping the Greeks, Reyna had done all of those things. A Roman was supposed to destroy her enemies. Instead, Reyna had joined forces with them.

3A) She even admits to it lmfaooo so in the very legal sense... she was not their praetor.

3B) He really just said doing bad things for good reasons is excusable, but that also sounds like some shit that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6th would say.

3C) She was really in a rock and a hard place, but at the end of the day... she was no longer their praetor the moment that she abandoned her post and betrayed the legion.