Chapter Eighteen (The Stubborn One)

Heavy is the head who wears the crown, but light is the one against their ruling…

Percy

"Nice!"

Oliver's face was contorted as his exhaustion and concentration gave him no respite to respond to my praise. The reddening tint to his cheeks only exacerbated his struggle to maintain his wobbly altitude as the winds scattered leaves around the clearing.

"Easy, Oliver. Just focus on moving forward. Only a little…"

The son of Aeolus grunted his acknowledgement. A few seconds passed without him doing more than remain unbalanced a few feet off the floor before his eyes widened in panic. A sudden gust swooped under his feet and shot him into the sky, his frightened cries drowned out by the strong winds.

"I got him!"

Zina's wings batted heavily against the winds, propelling her quickly behind the flailing son of Aeolus. She slipped her hands under his knees and behind his neck, though the boy was still squirming in a frenzy.

"I'm here, Oliver! Relax!"

I did my best to hold back my chuckle as the pair slowly descended back to the earth. I shook my head as Oliver slipped free from Zina's hands and postered himself firmly, clearly feeling emasculated by the previous events.

Zina hovered over to me, and I handed her the crutches she had discarded. Her wings curled up into her back before disappearing completely.

"I still need to get used to that part of having them."

"At least you can use them perfectly."

I shifted my gaze from Zina to Oliver, who stared at the floor in dismay.

"They're literally an extension to my body, and I've been given the knowledge on how to use it, so I don't think it's exactly fair on yourself to say that."

I agreed with Zina, drawing the boy's attention.

"I know, it doesn't exactly make me feel that much better though." He smiled politely at the daughter of Bia, but there was still a lingering element of shame on his face.

"Are you ready to try my methods now?" Chrysilla's voice startled me as it came over my shoulder.

With all of the research they were doing, Chrysilla had decided that they had enough to start implementing a few strategies to help bolster the abilities of the powered demigods. Personally, I would call it further experimentation, but swings and roundabouts.

Oliver gave his squad leader a dejected nod as he slowly made his way over to us. I glanced around us and noticed that the close call had garnered the attention of all the demigods present. Except Shaquille, who was still asleep against a tree.

"You should spend some more time training your control over the winds before you try to fly."

"But I already have really good control over the winds!"

"Then why don't you trust them to carry you?"

Oliver baulked at Chrysilla's words, stuttering for a moment as he shook his head in shock at her question.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Chrysilla stared at the boy blankly for a few moments before shifting her eyes to me. I could see the gears turning in her head as she used me as a blank canvas to properly process her thoughts, something I had grown quite accustomed to. After a few seconds longer, she nodded to herself and returned her gaze to Oliver.

"It's either you don't trust your father, or you don't trust yourself. Confidence is a pretty critical part of being able to utilise your abilities properly."

His eyes returned to the grassy floor as he stood in silence for a few moments. After a while he sighed, lowering himself to take a seat on the floor before beckoning me closer. I raised an eyebrow but complied. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as I drew nearer to him.

"I want to explain my side of things, but I'd much rather if we had some privacy."

I chuckled lightly, offering him a smile.

"Everyone else, besides Chrysilla, back to training."

I turned back to the son of Aeolus, who shot me a grateful grin. Chrysilla's shoulder brushed my side as she took her place beside me. I nudged her slightly, before groaning loudly to make a show out of taking a seat on the floor before Oliver.

"You know that there's absolutely no need for you to make those sounds to sit, right?"

I scoffed at Chrysilla, shooting her a playful glare.

"I'll hear from you when you reach my age!"

She stared at me for a few moments before the smile she was fighting crept onto her face. She shook her head as she, quietly, took a seat next to me.

I turned back to Oliver, who seemed a bit put off by our banter.

"Sorry, Oliver. What is it you wanted to say?"

The son of Aeolus coughed into his hand, before nodding to himself.

"I've always had a strong affinity with my aerokinesis. I used to manipulate the winds all the time when I was younger to prank people. I knew enough at the time to keep it a secret from everyone around me and I just silently embraced it. That being said, I would often slip away to a local park to practise using the winds."

He paused, taking a deep breath, and staring away from us once more.

"When I first came to camp using the winds as I could, everyone thought that I was another child of Zeus. The Hermes campers would tell me that I would never be claimed by Zeus because he was avoiding retribution from Hera. I can't lie, it bothered me a lot and I took it upon myself to train extra hard. I wanted to be accepted by Zeus no matter what. I wanted to prove to him that I was worthy. And then I got claimed."

A rueful smile adorned his face as he shook his head to himself, his eyes still observing the grass beside him.

"I went from being the secret son of Zeus that everyone wanted to be friends with before I was claimed, to being just another son of a minor god. A lot of friendships crumbled after that. The Hermes kids shifted from saying I'd never be claimed to making comparisons to Thalia and Jason, saying that they should've known I could never stack up to them. I wish I could say it didn't get to me, but it did. I won't say that I hated my father, but it made me feel as though I wasn't enough. That being a child of a minor god was a curse."

I scoffed, interrupting Oliver.

"Unbelievable. Next time we're back in camp, show me who exactly it was that said these things to you."

Oliver stared at me in shock for a while before a small smile drew apart his lips.

"It's fine, Percy."

I gave him a sickly-sweet grin. "I just want to talk to them, that's all."

Chrysilla chuckled, slipping her arm around mine. "We can worry about the camp later. Is that all, Oliver?"

The boy hesitated for a moment, letting his gaze drop.

"Remember when you said you'd talk to Jason, Percy?"

I nodded in response.

"Well, let's just say I challenged him to a flying competition and completely embarrassed myself. He even offered to have a private competition first, but I insisted. I was upset with him and just saw him as another arrogant prick looking down on me, but he was right in the end. He finished the course before I could even lift off the ground and move forward. He took me aside after that and offered to help me train to fly, but I was so embarrassed that I refused."

He sighed, shaking his head lightly before continuing.

"I gained a lot of respect for Jason after that, but I just kind of started believing the campers. I wasn't good enough as a son of Aeolus and I wasn't a true son of the skies. I knew it in my heart, but I still lied to you to get into the Vanguard and lied even after; by telling you I could fly. I didn't know it would lead to what happened with Zina, I… I'm sorry."

"Oh right! I completely forgot about that whole thing!"

I turned to Chrysilla in confusion.

"That happened?"

She nodded, squeezing my arm lightly.

"That was when you were stuck in your cabin, reading all of those books."

"Ah, right. I missed a few months in my cabin. I forgot about that."

A few moments of silence fell upon us. I looked back at Oliver to see that he had shrunk down in shame.

I pulled a small orb of water from the air and threw it at him. He spluttered as the water collided with his face. I quickly dissipated the water, but he had already begun to wipe his face. He stared at his dry hands and patted his face again before turning to me as shock gave way to realisation.

I held my hand up before he could say anything though.

"What happened, happened. The only thing that'll help any of us, is figuring out what to do moving forward. Besides, I'm not the one you should be apologising to in the first place."

A look of shame danced across his features as his eyes darted towards Zina. The daughter of Bia was hovering in the air, her one leg folded in a meditation stance, as she radiated a low white aura.

"That's only half of the people. You should apologise to yourself as well."

He turned his gaze, tinted with confusion now, towards me.

"You gave up on yourself. There is nothing anyone else can do for you if you don't want it for yourself. You've been denying yourself of your birthright for so long because of what other people have said. You're a true child of the skies! Another child of the skies acknowledged that! Jason acknowledged that! He wanted to help you because he saw himself in you! You need to focus on that instead of the meaningless words of people who know nothing of being one of the skies."

Oliver sniffled, a chuckle breaking through as he stared up at me with a watery smile, "So I shouldn't listen to any of you then?"

I snorted lightly before a chuckle of my own slipped past my lips.

"That's a little different, we're actually rooting for you one hundred percent of the way. We want you to succeed because it'll bring about the best version of you. That's what we want, to see you progress and grow and become the version of you that you are proud of."

"Are you sure that you don't just want me to be a good tool for the Vanguard?"

I stood up, shaking my head.

"You'd be an awful tool. I'd much rather you as a valuable member."

Oliver shook his head, taking my extended arm and pulling himself to his feet.

"I'm kind of disgusted by how good you are at pep talks."

"It comes with the age kiddo, it comes with the age."

He nodded with a smile still staining his lips.

"So how do I go about building up my confidence?"

I gave Chrysilla a meaningful look as she took my hand. I quickly pulled her to her feet, slipping my free hand around her waist to steady her as she regained her balance.

"It may be best if we start by going back to the basics. Tell me everything you know about your powers and we…"

I quickly walked away from the conversation, desperate to avoid another lecture on the basics of powers. I glanced around the clearing to see how the others were doing when I noticed that Zina had found herself in conversation with Ajax. Shrugging lightly to myself, I made my way over to the pair.

"Glad you're the one in charge, boss."

I groaned lightly at Zina, despite the smirk which tugged at the corners of my lips.

"You do realise that the only other creature in existence that calls me that is a Pegasus, right?"

Zina shrugged easily.

"We both have majestic wings, I don't mind it at all, boss."

I gave a dramatic sigh of reluctance before turning to Ajax.

"Sorry to interrupt this moment."

I paused at the sound of an unfamiliar voice behind me, momentarily put off by the suddenness of its appearance. I spun around, my hand already fishing Riptide free from my pocket while the air humidified around me, vapour thickening to form small blobs of water.

"Woah there! And here I thought bringing a sheep would get me attacked!"

I paused, lowering the capped Riptide, but keeping the formed water blobs present as I scanned the man before me up and down. He was slightly shorter than me, his hair blonde with blue eyes that sparkled in the sun. He had a cheeky grin and an easy-going attitude as radiant as the chariot in the sky.

"Son of Apollo, God… Aristaeus?"

"Right in one, Perseus."

"And strike one already."

"Wait, really? For saying your name?"

I shook my head, tsking as I stepped aside to allow the god to see his son. His grin widened and he spread his arms out.

"Ajax! My boy! I haven't seen you since you were as small as your penis."

"Why is that the reference?"

I shrugged in response to Zina.

"I must've been a huge baby then!"

The god chuckled as his son walked towards him, wasting no time in pulling him into a hug.

"Sorry to keep our meeting so short son," He shifted his gaze to me "Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

I shook my head.

"If we go somewhere to talk, it might give you the impression that I'll be accepting your request."

He frowned slightly.

"Ouch, not even going to hear me out?"

I shook my head at him, my arms folded across my chest resolutely. Ajax huffed, staring between his father, and I. Shaking his head, he seemed crestfallen as he took a small step towards me, "Come on Percy! Why not!"

I pointed at Zina's leg or lack thereof.

"Ouch, boss."

I sent Zina a playful glare before regaining my composure.

"I'm not happy with them, and they've been restricted to training until they can prove that they're ready for another mission."

"Training will never be the same as active experience."

My eyebrows scrunched at the sound of Chrysilla's voice. I shifted my head to stare at her, irritation mounting at the constant pressure being put on me.

"Can Oliver fly yet?" Chrysilla stared at me incredulously, but I pushed on. "Then I don't think we're quite ready yet, now are we."

"That's a little low don't you think?" Chrysilla shot back, a little hotly.

"As low as Oliver stays to the ground."

The daughter of Athena whipped her head, sending a heated glare at Zina for her comment, but the daughter of Bia gave her a cheeky grin in return.

"Ah… I understand exactly what you're talking about now…"

"Percy, you can call me Percy."

The god nodded.

"Percy. It's clear that there's a lot going on. I'll figure something else out."

"But Dad!"

"It's okay son. Have some faith in your leader."

I smiled at Aristaeus.

"Feel free to spend some time with him, I'm sure he has a lot of questions for you."

"Isn't that like not a good idea?"

I stared at Ajax for a while.

"Where have you been?"

Aristaeus laughed before pulling his son to the side to talk to him.

Shaking my head at the boy, I turned to the others in the clearing. I was mildly surprised to find that the only other members present were Chrysilla and Zina. Even Shaquille had somehow disappeared. Before I could question it further, I heard Zina cough into her hands, drawing my attention back to her and the very livid daughter of Athena before her.

"So, um… oh! Ow! These phantom pains! Oh… ow? I should really check in with Teucer!"

Her wings unfurled from her back and propelled her to the sky as she too quickly vanished, leaving me alone with Chrysilla.

"I think it's time we had a conversation about your decision."

"So, you want to call the rest of the camp to have them hear the same thing I've been saying for the last few weeks?"

"I want you to give us the chance to prove ourselves!"

"With meaningless words? I don't think so. I'm looking for results, not empty promises."

Chrysilla huffed, folding her arms across her chest as she gave me a glare that seemed conflicted by some other emotion.

"Look, just so we're clear, this isn't me speaking to you as your boyfriend, but as the leader of the Vanguard. I don't know why you've been so insistent on us going out on missions recently, but you can't keep undermining me so often in front of everyone. This is the bed you all made with shoddy decisions that have led to increasingly more life-threatening situations! I'm so certain that the only reason no one has died yet is because Tyche has taken an interest in us!"

"I get that Percy, but-"

"There is no room for buts. I want to keep you all safe. I want to make sure you all get a chance to see a life outside of camp. I've come up against some of the absolute worst that this world beyond the borders can offer. You guys have barely scratched the surface and yet you're struggling at every turn. I don't like being so hard on you guys, you know I don't, but this is my responsibility as the leader. There are times when I'm going to have to be seen as the bad guy to you all, to make the hard decisions, to do what I believe is best for the group."

Chrysilla's glare melted, and she stepped towards me, "I understand, Percy. I just want to ask you to give us the chance to prove ourselves as leaders first. There hasn't been a meeting between the squad leaders since you walked out on the last one. I just feel like we'll never get back the trust we've lost with you and I, at least, want a chance to rebuild those bridges."

I tried to look away from her eyes, but her soft hands found their way to my cheeks. I felt my resolve crumble under the will of her striking grey orbs.

I sighed in defeat, closing the distance between us, and wrapping my arms around her waist.

"That's why I've been avoiding you."

"Because you love me?"

I shook my head against her neck, "Because you know that I do."

Percy

"Nice!"

I turned to find Tassos standing with his back to us as we walked past him. Peaking over his shoulder, I saw that he was talking to Lily and Crystal and seeing the three together was enough for me to raise an eyebrow. Chrysilla's grip on my hand tightened for a second, drawing my attention back to her, but I paid it no mind as curiosity got the best of me.

"What's nice?"

Tassos turned around, his teeth on display as his lips spread apart in a wide smile.

"My mother came to me in a vision, she sai-"

"No."

"Huh?"

I shifted my gaze back to the command tent. Unbridled irritation continued to mount at the constant bombardment of pressure against my decision. I took a deep breath as I felt Chrysilla step in stride with me, taking comfort in her closeness and giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

It wasn't that I felt as though my position was at risk, or that it was a constant attack on my ego. It was the simple fact that, in a contest of pressure and resistance, something would have to give. Knowing everything that had been going on recently…

I felt Chrysilla's hand stiffen against mine, halting my progress. I clicked my tongue; my momentary reprieve was taken from me. I turned slowly to query Chrysilla's actions when I heard an all too familiar voice.

"Perseus."

My head completed its turn, letting my eyes fall upon a very beautiful figure, albeit an extremely unwanted one.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" I groaned at the sight of the goddess of agriculture.

The soft features of her flawless face were marred by the sudden appearance of a frown. She brought her hand up to brush a few loose strands which fell before her eyes, giving little effort, and a lot of grace, as a gentle breeze seemed to exude from her fingertips and carefully placed the strands behind her ear.

"I can't say that I'm fond of that greeting, nephew. And here I was about to offer you some cereal."

I pulled Chrysilla, gently, behind me before I slipped my hand free from her own. I narrowed my eyes as I noted that the action had not gone unnoticed by the goddess' warm brown eyes.

"It was more of a response to a culmination of situations than strictly at you."

"So, you freely admit that some of that was meant for me?"

"One hundred percent yes."

My eyes were drawn, in a sideward glance, to Tassos who had gasped as he stepped within earshot of our conversation. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, instead letting them return to the elegant figure of Demeter.

"How coul-"

"Now, now, Tassos. Mother is speaking."

The boy stared at his mother with wide eyes but stilled his tongue as he nodded. He took a few steps back to where the daughters of Hermes were standing, falling quietly in line with them. Once the goddess was content with her son's distance, she turned back to me offering a polite smile.

"I can understand it to a certain degree, so I'll allow it."

I let free a low hum which was tainted by my overall disinterest as I swayed lightly to shift my balance to my right foot.

"I'm certain you're aware of the presence of the minor god within the vicinity?"

The goddess gave a curt nod, "It would do me no good to lie."

"Then I just want to preface the entire conversation we're about to have, the exact same way I did with him. No."

Demeter gave an exasperated sigh as she took a step towards me. I held the goddess' gaze even as I slipped a hand to Chrysilla's stomach, pushing the girl lightly until she was no longer within my reach.

"This isn't the time for your stubborn ways, Perseus. There are greater things at stake."

I fought against my instincts and shifted from a battle-ready stance in favour of standing more upright. I stepped towards the goddess, increasing the distance between Chrysilla and me even further, as I tilted my head slightly to the left.

"There always is and there always will be."

"I can't believe you're the same Hero of Olympus."

"Well yes, didn't you know that if a pawn reaches a certain point it can take the role of other pieces?"

"Are you suggesting that you're better off dead?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps it very well may be too late..."

The grass near my feet began to tickle my ankles and I shot one of my most vicious wolf glares at Tassos.

"Boy, even your mother couldn't save you."

The boy cowered, stunned into a mixture of confusion as his mother gave another petite sigh.

"Perseus, it wasn't my son."

I raised an eyebrow at the goddess, ready to draw the water from the extensions of the earth, when I heard the flaps to the command tent open.

"How long is he going to keep us… oh!"

I felt my breath hitch in my throat as I turned to see Adrian, being followed by Marc.

The son of Ares was later on the uptake than Adrian and his eyes darted towards everyone before him, before settling on me, "What's going on?"

My lips parted, yet the voice of Crystal sounded before my words could even muster coherence.

"Lady Demeter came to offer us a mission!"

I felt my eyes shift towards the pair. The two sisters had turned to each other, squealing in excitement. Lily shifted her gaze towards the goddess before me, "I can't wait to finally do something other than training!"

I felt a sneer pull at my lips, but I quickly wiped it away. The moment it took to recompose myself was enough for Demeter to pounce on the gap in the conversation.

"Ah, see young Perseus. It seems that this could be the best timing for the offer I have."

"I fail to see how that is the case." I practically growled out.

"Well, you get the reward I'm offering for your completion of the mission, and you get to let your members stretch their legs. Oh, and prove that you aren't a tyrant and actually care for their opinions and desires."

I felt my left eye twitch at the coy words which seemed to echo throughout the clearing.

"I hadn't thought of it that way before…" Tassos' whisper was almost harsh against the sudden quiet.

"I don't think, at all, that that's an accurate description of Percy."

I almost sighed in relief, turning to Adrian, and thanking the boy with my eyes.

"I have to agree. We have an established chain of command, and all of the commanders are in agreement that-"

"Wait, didn't you tell them already, Chrysilla?" Lily interrupted.

Another wave of silence washed over us as our eyes shifted towards the lone daughter of Athena. She had trailed a few feet to the left of me, standing neither too close to Adrian and Marc nor near to the children of Hermes.

"Tell us what?"

I almost cursed Marc for the question but knew he couldn't help it.

"About the messages she's been getting from Athena!"

"Mother has been messaging you?"

Chrysilla turned to Adrian, staring at him with her mouth agape.

"Well, from how she was talking about it, it sounded more like visions in her dreams but swings and roundabouts."

Adrian took a step back, staring at the trees, "Oh, I see."

"Anyway, children, I think I've let my presence linger here for a little more than I intended..." I turned back to Demeter, schooling my emotions as I stared blankly at her. Her grin faltered as she saw my face, but she quickly recomposed herself.

"Everyone else, leave."

"But Perc-"

The two daughters of Hermes suddenly slumped to the floor, revealing Adrastea behind them. The daughter of Ares stood tall with her hefty blade raised to the heavens; her face contorted in an odd amalgamation of ugly rage.

"You're lucky Shaquille was here. I've had to talk to you too many times about disobeying orders!" The daughter of Ares snarled at Lily's prone figure, sheathing her blade, and spitting on the floor beside the unconscious girls and walking away.

Chrysilla stared at the two prone figures, before shifting her eyes back to me, "I'll-"

"No."

Zina swooped down from the sky, hovering over Lily and Crystal and sighing. She gave an overly dramatic groan as she wrapped her arms around their torsos, letting her massive wings propel them into the air. "You're starting to feed them too much, boss."

I rolled my eyes at her words before shifting my eyes back to Chrysilla and then Adrian and Marc.

"Squad leaders in the command tent. We'll commence the meeting as planned shortly." I turned to Tassos, who had begun to walk away upon my initial command but had been rooted in place by the bloodlust from Adrastea. "Tassos, go get Cassandra and go with her to calm Adrastea down."

The son of Demeter nodded before jogging off into the forest, the fearful look never dropping from his face. I turned back to see that the squad leaders had all but entered the tent. I was about to return Chrysilla's fleeting, yet meaningful, look, but the goddess' voice drew my attention.

"My it is chilly isn't it." The goddess commented loosely as I returned my eyes to her. Her brown eyes shifted from the clouds and back to me with palpable, earnest curiosity. "Aren't you going to let me spend some time with my son?"

I stared at her for a few moments, calculating my next few words as I subtly took in my surroundings.

"You were almost the perfect choice." I firmly stated, catching the browns of her eyes in time to see how taken aback she was at my words.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have no issues with you, correct. The relationship between your children and I have always been amicable; not too friendly to be a swaying factor, but not too antagonistic for me to have hidden resentment towards you."

"Yet you say that it fails to meet your standards of perfection?"

I shook my head, offering a playful smile to the goddess.

"Does it matter who's own it is in this situation?" I shifted easily to mask the action of my hands slipping into my pockets. Leaning forward slightly to maintain our eye contact, I smirked at Demeter. "I'll entertain you though, perfection would have been Lady Hestia."

The goddess' cheek took a golden hue as her eyes momentarily flickered to the sky. I chuckled to myself before taking the cue to turn and walk towards the command tent.

"As you are stubborn, I am persistent, Perseus. Just as I continue to hound Hades for his actions, I will be a thorn in your side until you do this for me."

I paused, turning to face the goddess with a look of genuine curiosity.

"Why would you go so far? You may succeed with me in my mortality, but is it truly worth the wrath of my immortal heritage?"

The goddess gave a slow, almost sorrowful nod.

"I'm afraid it is, Perseus."

I clicked my tongue, staring beyond the goddess for a few moments.

"I suppose this decision is beyond you whether you voted for it or not. If you're going to be pestering my group for the foreseeable future, call me Percy. I hate being called Perseus."

The goddess nodded; her lips pursed as she took a slight step towards me. I was drawn to her approaching, contemplative presence and found myself staring at her divine femininity in patient, and silent, awe.

"It may seem a small token, all things considered, but is there anything that I can do to make this affair easier on you."

"First, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call it an affair." The goddess gave a soft chuckle as I quickly pressed on, "Secondly, if this is to be inevitable, I'd be grateful if you could stall for a week."

Her eyes grew hazed as she stared vacantly at me. An uneasiness crawled about my body, urging me to fidget under her overwhelming gaze.

Just as I was about to draw Riptide or leave, I wasn't quite sure which decision I would have taken, her eyes flickered around the clearing before focusing on me.

"Consider it done, nephew."

I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath in relief. As I opened them, the goddess was before me, her hands cusping mine. I bit back the terrified cry which threatened to spill out at the sudden closeness until a wave of calm washed over me.

"Know this, young Perseus. Despite the atrocities your father may have committed to me and the world, I would never wish the worst for a child. I know, all too well, the burden as a parent. So, I am truly sorry for the decisions of the council."

I opened my mouth to speak before I felt my breath hitch at the sight of her warm smile. I barely managed to nod at the goddess, who promptly erupted into a flurry of leaves.

"Oh boy, you really do like awful odds, don't you?"

I sighed in relief as I felt the familiar presence of Tyche behind me. I quickly schooled my features before turning to the minor goddess.

"As much as I'm honoured by your presence, seeing three deities in one day is never a good sign."

The goddess offered me a sad smile before closing the distance between us and wrapping her arms around me. I all but melted into the warmth of her motherly embrace, fighting the tears from slipping free as best as I could.

"I can't say I understand the tremendous weight on your shoulder, but I can say that you're doing a great job."

I let out a choked laughter that solidified the internal dam against my tears.

"I really wish that that was all you came to say."

"I truly wish the same, Percy. Alas, I regret to inform you that you no longer have the eyes of Lady Luck on your group."

I stepped back from the embrace, nodding softly at her words.

"At least I have a warning."

The goddess pulled my chin up so that I could meet her soft eyes.

"Rest assured, there will come a day when I watch you until I can watch you no more. Until that day, you have the presence of my daughter in my stead."

I gave the goddess a cheeky grin. "How could I even think of worrying when I have her."

The goddess laughed, a soft sparkly laugh that was contagious. We stayed like that for a few moments. I relished the opportunity to simply bask in the comfort of her presence as much as I could before she left.

Her hands fell from my face as our intermingling laughter petered off into the silence.

"I'll keep her safe."

The goddess beamed at me.

"I know you will."

"Goodbye, Tyche."

"Goodbye, my child."

The goddess disappeared into the air.

I stared at where she previously stood, a smile still lingering on my face.

I took a deep breath and let the smile slowly fade away.

Shaking my limbs to drag myself from the pooling cesspool of anxiety-laden thoughts, I began to make my way to the command tent.

"What a fucking day."

I slipped into the tent, mentally groaning at the mounting tension which permeated from the three demigods before me. I momentarily let my gaze flicker to the trio, who stared eagerly at me as I made my way to my seat.

Sitting quietly, I scanned the table before picking up some of my scattered notes and going through them. My eyes shifted through the papers absentmindedly as my mind was lulled into deeper thought by the prolonged silence.

"Percy?" I blinked away the festering thoughts, easing back into reality and shifting my eyes towards Marc. The son of Ares seemed a bit uncomfortable, his eyes flickering between the two children of Athena before settling back on me. "Are we going to have the meeting, or do you need some space to figure everything out?"

I let out a shallow breath, offering the son of Ares a soft smile for his gentle words.

"It's alright, it's been a while since we last met anyway."

The son of Ares nodded gently.

"What exactly are we meeting for?"

I raised an eyebrow as I fought to remember the reason myself. "Ah, if I'm remembering correctly, this was Chrysilla's idea."

Adrian scoffed, his scornful gaze glaring at his half-sister. "What exactly is it that we're meeting for then?"

I turned to Chrysilla, who seemed unsure of the correct way to respond. I sighed, weighing my options silently. Glancing around the room, I noticed that the growing lull in the conversation was agitating Adrian further. I clicked my tongue, shaking my head slightly to myself.

"It was something to do with the lack of missions, right?"

Chrysilla shot me a panicked look at my casual statement before shrinking into her chair.

"Well, isn't that rich!"

I winced slightly at Adrian's heated words.

"Look, I just thought that it was time for us to start going back…"

"It's almost like you haven't been to the last few meetings." The weight of Marc's voice carried his soft words easily to our ears. His eyes shot up in shock as he realised that he had been heard, but Chrysilla was quick to pounce on the gap this time.

"Unless there have been meetings behind my back, I have. Given the amount of time since the last official meeting, is it really that strange for my opinions to change?"

Adrian gave a dry laugh through his nose, "Ah right, you with your bull-headed self would just change your opinions so easily…"

"Adrian…" Marc offered a warning to the son of Athena.

"Look, I'm just saying it's kind of strange that she's changing her mind all of a sudden now that she's getting visions from our mother."

"Are you saying that it would be unwise to heed the messages of our mother?"

"All I'm saying is that the last few interactions with the Olympians didn't exactly end on the best of terms."

"So, Olympus is our enemy then?"

"I'm not sure about the gods, but it sure does feel as though you are!"

Chrysilla's mouth hung loose as her eyes darted between Marc and me. I let a groan slip free past my lips as I dropped my eyes back to the table before me. I heard Adrian take a deep breath and quickly interjected.

"How about we leave this conversation right there."

The son of Athena shifted his eyes towards me, a jealous rage barely hidden behind the greys of his eyes.

"Percy, you can't seriously be letting your feelings for her-"

The temperature plummeted in the tent, though there was a venomous heat barely contained in my glare at the boy.

He shivered visibly; all traces of his rage were replaced by trepidation.

"As you may be aware," I started, letting the temperature return to normal, "Lady Demeter and I had a conversation. I need you all to put aside any differences you have at the moment and get your squads ready; we'll be mobilising in a week."

"A week!"

"You accepted?"

"We're going on the mission?"

I nodded, more to myself than the others, as I sat upright. I let my left elbow rest on the handrest, my closed fist raising for my chin to rest upon it. I let the silence hang as my eyes lazily trailed over the demigods before me.

Chrysilla to Adrian.

Adrian to Marc.

The exact order of the words spoken.

"I was also approached by Lady Tyche," my words cut through the mustering words from Chrysilla, "She came to notify me that we would be without her eyes for some time."

"Wait, her eyes?" I shifted my gaze back to Chrysilla, "You were serious about that?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, a soft frown playing at my lips at her lack of faith.

"Did you think it was such a coincidence that I continuously had you all sacrifice to her? Did you think that you all were magically impervious to mortal wounds? If demigods could truly withstand such combat and engagements with monsters on a regular basis, especially such green demigods, do you truly think the gods would have erected a camp with a magical border for them to hole up in?"

"And you knew about that the entire time?"

Chrysilla continued to stare at me in amazement as I held her gaze.

"Of course, I knew. I spoke with her fairly often and Cassandra would tell me whenever she felt her mother's presence."

"Why didn't we take more missions with her eyes, if you knew this entire time?"

I shook my head, "Let me make this clear. I don't want to take this mission. It was barely a good decision to take the ones we did with her eyes on us."

"And now we've been forced into a corner, at the worst possible moment?"

I shifted my eyes to Adrian, a rue smile spreading on my lips.

"Despite the apparent torrent of horrid news, I am grateful for the week we've gotten."

Marc shook his head in dismay, "What will a week do for us? You said we needed at least a month!"

Adrian let out a sound that was an odd mixture of a scoff and a laugh.

"To be precise, at least a month to be operational for small missions as squads. Three to be operational with a mixture of squads for relatively more difficult missions. Five, as a full unit and a year to be experienced enough to actually explore the Greek world... With minimal risk."

"And even then, we'd need to start a recruitment drive," Chrysilla added to her brother's statement.

Marc shook his head, "All the added pessimism aside. Why did you accept? And what's so good about a week extra?"

I hummed lightly.

"You all should be aware that Chris has been actively working towards deciphering my armour to make ones of similar designs for the group, correct?"

Chrysilla and Adrian nodded in response while Marc seemed a bit confused. Before I could clarify for him, he snapped his fingers.

"Ah, yeah, it was supposed to be done ages ago, but he kept running into issues with it."

I nodded, "Issues that made my own armour unusable for some time."

"And that answers Marc's question, how?"

I gave Adrian a pointed look and he apologised quickly.

"He'll get the armour done by the end of the week. It won't guarantee safety, but it'll save lives."

"Did you find the missing materials?" Marc pressed.

"And how are you sure he won't have any more issues deciphering it?" Adrian added.

"I've known the solution since I talked with Nico."

"And you kept quiet about that, why?"

I turned to Chrysilla with a quizzical glance.

"And you kept quiet about your mother's visions, why?"

The girl shrunk back into herself, her eyes shifting back to her papers.

"That aside," I continued as Marc prodded me forward with a cough, "Demeter approached us on behalf of the council. That's why I can't refuse the mission."

"Didn't Hermes and Ares?"

"They did, but they weren't elder gods. I could hold my own against a few on the council. I'd have enough time to make a display large enough to draw my father's attention and have the aid of Atlantis on my side. It's vastly different with the elder gods."

"Are you saying they'd wipe the floor with you?"

Chrysilla shook her head in disbelief, "I'll never quite be able to wrap my head around you the way you speak of facing Olympians as casually as you do?"

"It comes with the age, unfortunately…"

"Okay, we're going on this mission and it's going to be beyond the level of danger we've faced so far. Are we going to seriously skip past the fact that Chrysilla is cl-"

"Percy!" The tents were flung wildly apart, and Jerome appeared before us. "Lily and Crystal are awake and causing a scene at the Hearth."

I gave the son of Hermes an easy smile before shifting my attention back to the other squad leaders. "Can you three handle that situation for me please?"

Marc and Chrysilla nodded, rising instantly from their seats. Adrian groaned, muttering to himself as he too rose from his seat. Marc took a brief pause from staring worriedly at the son of Athena to glance at me.

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to speak with Chris." I turned back to Jerome, "You did bring him with you right?"

Before the son of Hermes could respond, Chris lumbered into the tent beside him, taking deep breaths.

"Stupid children of Hermes and their speed."

A small smile slipped onto my face at his words. "Right, everyone else out. Go and make sure Adrastea doesn't kill those two."

A few seconds later, I was left with Chris and a much more relaxed atmosphere.

"Did you bring the forge, Chris?"

He nodded, "That's why I'm so out of breath. Why'd you have me bring this? Even though we got the materials back, it doesn't mean that I can suddenly decipher the armour."

I raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"Didn't I say I'll figure something out?"

He nodded.

"Well, I did. Open the entrance and get to work here. I'll stay in the command tent while you work and call you if anything happens."

"And you're sure this will work, why?"

I smirked at him, "Go inside and get to work before you doubt me."

The massive boy shrugged before throwing a pouch to the floor. A mahogany door erupted from the pouch, and he stepped inside, leaving it open behind him.

A few seconds later he sprinted out, "I can understand it again! How did you…"

"Trade secret."

The boy wanted to pester me, but his excitement at being able to forge the armour overwhelmed him and he disappeared into the door once again, this time closing it behind him.

I groaned as I melted onto the back of my chair.

"It's always some shit. From being manipulated into fighting willingly, to being manipulated to fight unwillingly. It doesn't matter how with the gods does it?"

I shook my head at the rhetorical question. Deciding against sitting in quiet agitation at the overwhelming thoughts about my current conundrum, I flicked through the loose paper until I found the 'Children of the Sky'.

"Might as well go through what I can to help Oliver while I wait."

Two Days Later

"Percy!"

My eyes snapped open as Adrian barged into the command tent. My tired eyes stared blearily at the exuberant boy with slight disdain at the abrupt nature of my awakening. Despite the energetic bounce that accompanied his excited grin, he seemed intent on giving me a moment to sit upright and rub the sleep out of my eyes.

"Yes, Adrian, what's up?"

"I found out something amazing!"

I stifled a yawn, casually eyeing the papers before me that had led me to my slumber. "About?"

I blinked in surprise as the table jolted suddenly, with a resounding thud. Unused cups tilted as the remnants of the various liquids splashed from their containers. A light scowl tugged at my lips as I evaporated all of it, staining the air with the scent of old coffee.

Glancing up, I saw Adrian with a paper between his hand and the table. "You do know that there are other ways to get your point across than slamming the table with crucial documents when there are so many cups on it, right?"

The boy's smile remained unwavering. He, instead, leaned over the table more, "This is it! This is what Chrysilla was talking about. Normal demigods can access divine powers! It isn't just a rare trait for a select few!"

Adrian made his way to me and handed me a few pages of documents. I glanced at the front page, and the bulky paragraphs inscribed onto it and immediately decided against it. Choosing myself for once, I turned back to the boy staring at me with barely contained joy.

"Okay, I believe you. How can we implement it in training?"

The boy baulked for a few moments, his face frowning as he contemplated his response.

"Well-"

A sudden gust accompanied Chrysilla as she pushed past the flaps of the tent. Irritation was etched onto her face as Marc quickly followed behind her. She took a quick look at Adrian and I before a scowl erupted on her face.

"The one time I want to talk to him in private…" I knew the moment she said it that she had meant to keep those words to herself, but the low howling of the winds outside died behind the closed flaps as she began to speak.

"Why don't you save all of your talking for Mother then?"

Marc groaned at Adrian's jealous input while I sighed and leaned further into my chair. Chrysilla stared around the room sheepishly while Marc stepped between her and the table.

"It seems like we all have something we wanted to talk about, why not just have an impromptu meeting?"

"No!"

Adrian and Chrysilla stared at each other in shock at their synchronicity.

"So… are we going to draw straws and take turns or…"

I rubbed my eyebrows in annoyance. "I need to start falling asleep in my tent again."

The three before me turned their attention back to me and I caught Chrysilla's eyes dropping to the papers before me. Adrian noticed this too and immediately snatched it up and hid it behind his back.

"Smooth, dude," Marc said with a snicker.

Chrysilla raised an eyebrow before shrugging and making her way to her seat. Adrian relaxed as she pulled her chair but the moment he did, she darted around the table and snatched the papers from him.

Marc snickered. "Were you trying to let her get them?"

"These were private documents that I had taken for myself."

I nodded to myself before rising to my feet.

"It was left in the pile of works and Adrian found it after a meeting and began working on it."

Her face contorted in outrage, "You knew?"

"The better question is why didn't you tell him about it."

Chrysilla turned to Marc who shrugged easily under her heated look. Reeling in her rage, she turned back to me, "I didn't think the information was worth anything…"

"It was a lot of speculative thinking, yes, but when I compared it and combined it with what I had written it made so much sense," Adrian said as he grabbed the papers back, his eyes dancing with excitement as he pointed out certain areas.

Chrysilla stood with an awkward smile on her face as she nodded along with his elated gestures.

"Anyway, forget all of that. This is big, Percy. A week isn't enough time for testing on new demigods, but it could make a difference with those who are already training with their powers. I even outlined a specific routine for Oliver that could have him up to speed in a week."

I just stared at him with an incredulous look on my face, "Are we talking about the same Oliver?"

Adrian chuckled but nodded, before handing me the paper.

I scanned it over before nodding to myself.

"I need to start Oliver on this right away. Can you all work with your specific powered demigods together? I have Adrastea working with everyone else to coordinate their training for the while."

"Isn't it a bit soon for you to implement group training?"

I shook my head in response to Chrysilla.

"We're going to have to move as a full unit for this one. Even having a little chemistry and understanding of positions and formations is better than the clashes we've seen before."

"Then why are you separating the leaders from each squad?"

I stared at the daughter of Athena pointedly, "If I had time to play twenty-one questions, I would've loved to sit here with you for the next week and chat. Unfortunately, we have only a few days left to do whatever we can to save as many lives as possible. Until this mission is over, you three no longer have the rank of squad leader. I am the only one in charge and what I say goes indefinitely. No questions, just action."

Chrysilla looked eager to respond, but the quick affirmation from the other boys and our movement out of the tent stopped her.

"Percy…" She called, grabbing my arm.

I sighed, gently prying my arm free. "We'll talk later."

I paused slightly at the frown marring her face and closed the distance between us. The embrace was brief, just as the contact of our lips before I turned and slipped out of the tent.

Two Days Later

A cool breeze brushed past me, heeding the commands of Oliver as they swelled under him.

I stared at him as I leaned against a tree, a small smile playing on my lips at the progress the boy was making so rapidly.

"Percy," I heard Chrysilla's voice, but kept my eyes focused on the son of Aeolus, "can I please talk to you?"

I gave a curt nod, letting my eyes stray from the floating Oliver. Chrysilla stood a few feet from me, her hands playing with each other as she shuffled slightly. I frowned as she brought her eyes up from the floor to meet mine. I took a half step towards her, causing her eyes to widen slightly before I paused and turned back to the floating demigod.

"That's enough for now, Oliver. Take a break."

The boy grunted as his concentration waned. He dropped a few feet closer to the floor before he was suddenly pushed further upwards by a strong gust of wind.

"I'm good. I want to be as ready as possible for the mission."

I gave Oliver a small smile and a nod before turning back to Chrysilla. "Just ask Zina to practice nearby in case you fall."

A panicked look crossed his face and he lost control of the winds, flailing as he tumbled to the floor. A few inches from the ground, a swirl of winds clustered and caught him.

A startled laugh left his lips as he shifted his eyes to me. He gave me a wide smile and a nod before closing his eyes and deepening his concentration.

Content with the boy's determination, I turned back to Chrysilla. Her grey eyes shone with an odd tint of hopefulness as I finally closed the distance between us. I quickly captured her hand in mine and, gently, pulled her behind me.

"We can talk in my tent."

She gave no reply, instead squeezing my hand and stepping in stride beside me.

Pushing past the flaps of my tent, I untangled my hand from her own and took a seat at the desk adjacent to the bed. Chrysilla stared at me for a few moments, unsure of her next move, before sitting at the edge of the bed.

"I… I've been wanting to talk to you for some time."

I nodded, staring into her grey eyes. "I know. Things have gotten busy recently."

A chuckle slipped from her lips. "I suppose I should be happy, seeing as it's what I wanted."

"But you're not?"

Chrysilla shook her head, her eyes shifting to the floor as silence consumed us.

"Percy-"

"I know."

Chrysilla paused, her grey eyes darting to my own. She blinked after a moment, nodding to herself.

"You wouldn't mind if I asked what it is that you know exactly?"

I gave her a sad smile, shaking my head.

"I know that there's a rebellious faction within the Vanguard and that you're a part of it. I believe that your motive is to have the group fail, but I can't say that I understand the motive behind that."

Chrysilla sighed, shaking her head as her eyes fell to the floor once again.

"How did you figure it out?"

"I figured it out after the first mission. Lily and Crystal weren't exactly secretive about their intentions. It wasn't exactly their instigation on the rushed assault on the camp that gave it away, but rather how swiftly they seemed to reform and submit afterwards."

Chrysilla clicked her tongue, her gaze held my own as the sombreness of the conversation reflected in her eyes.

"They were convinced that it would be easy to create discord and force the group to crumble. I wouldn't have expected that to give us up though. Why didn't you do something about it then?"

I shifted my eyes to the desk, toying with the edge of a book I had brought from camp.

"From how quickly they gave in, I figured they weren't working alone. So, I left them to draw out whoever it was they were working with. To draw you out."

Chrysilla chuckled in disbelief. "What gave me away?"

I felt the curiosity of her eyes burning into me and turned to meet them once more.

"Ares. If it wasn't for him, I don't think I'd have ever suspected you. I had Jerome working for me quietly. No one else knew of my suspicions but him and I. His idea to collect requests allowed us to gather information about everyone, but you weren't even on our radar anymore until Ares."

Chrysilla nodded. "I didn't think you figured it out, but I knew something had changed since that mission. We haven't spent much time since then, you got busier and started spending all of your time in the command tent. I… I thought you were thinking of ending things…"

I shook my head, drawing her drifting eyes back to me.

"I was trying to figure out the next move from there. I didn't tell anyone else what I knew, but I think Adrian might have been running his own investigations on the side and he knows. Or at the very least is very suspicious."

Chrysilla sighed. "So, this is it?"

I rose from my seat and shuffled to sit beside her. I let my fingers snake between hers.

"I don't know if you know about my fatal flaw…"

She squeezed my hand, turning to face me.

"Do you know what it was I came to tell you?"

I shook my head.

Tears brimmed in her eyes as a smile belied the softness of her sorrow.

"Then why have you kept me around?"

"Besides love?" She nodded and I continued, "The group had been becoming fragmented. Whatever it was that Lily and Crystal had been sowing into the group was poisonous. I needed to keep everything civil and calm while I put things in place to diffuse tensions and alienate the pair of them and their influence. If I just got rid of them, I would have run the risk of being exactly what they said I was, and their expulsions would have made them martyrs for their cause… your cause."

Chrysilla shook her head, the weight of the conversation shedding under the emergence of the warmth of pride and adoration with which she beamed at me.

"So what? You've been running a coup, in our coup?"

I chuckled lightly, "Basically."

"Their cause." I raised an eyebrow at her words. Her smile simply widened as her free hand slipped to my cheek. "It's good to know that I'm still mysterious enough to slip past your intel. What I came to say is that I'm choosing you."

Confusion danced across my face. "Why though? Why do all of this and come so far just to…"

She silenced me with a soft kiss.

"Please don't forget that I love you." She whispered as she pulled away.

I slipped my arms around her waist, pulling her onto the bed with me. The room was filled with the soft sounds of her laughter as our bodies collided and tangled until we melded into the sheets. I stared at her, my arms still around her torso as we lay on our sides.

Her lips twitched, struggling to form more words, but I saved them from their misery and captured them with my own.

The silence gave way to the sounds of our eagerness to be touched by one another after so long apart.

"I'm sorry for everything that I put you and the group through."

"There's still time to make amends. We just need to put it all aside for this mission, so forget about it until afterwards."

Chrysilla smiled, pressing her lips against mine once more.

"Would you have been this easy on us if you didn't love me?"

I snorted. "Would Helen have left for Troy, if not for love?"

"I'm not sure if I like that answer…"

I chuckled and slid on top of her. "What matters is what is. There's more than enough to think about in the present than distant possibilities that don't even exist."

"So, I should ignore the fact that I'm only here because you love me?"

"You should embrace the fact that I do."

I closed the distance between us, capturing her lips once more.

A flash of light swarmed my vision as a sudden weightlessness overcame me.

As quick as it came, the light dissipated and I was stood, fully clothed. I narrowed my eyes, shifting my gaze around me. Chrysilla stood beside me, her eyes wide in panic as her hands tried to cover her, already, clothed figure. Around us stood the rest of the Vanguard, all equally confused.

"Perseus, I believe you were given a request from the Olympian council."

I took a deep breath to simmer the boiling pot of rage within me. Opening my eyes, I found Demeter standing before me. The goddess' body was adorned in tight-fitting golden armour which glistened under the radiance of the sun above.

"Your choices are simple, abide by the will of the gods or stand trial before me right now."

The heat of the sun was instantly quelled by a steep drop in temperature. I tilted my head to the side as I took a step towards the goddess.

"I do believe we had agreed that this mission would not occur until a week had passed since our last meeting."

"I don't recall there being such an agreement. Would you like me to refer to Lady Styx to check?"

I felt my left eye twitch in agitation, the cooling air condensing as the vapour beckoned my subconscious call.

"Try as you might, I assure you that you will find a much greater challenge in facing me."

I glared at the goddess for a few seconds before composing myself, letting the temperature climb back to its sweltering level. Looking over my shoulder, I beckoned Chris to me with a shake of my head.

The boy needed no further instruction as he came to a stop behind me. "I need more time, Percy. I was flashed out of the forges before I could complete it. I need at least two more days to work on them…"

I nodded in response to his whispered words, humming slightly as I let my eyes shift back to the soft greens of the ancient deity. "Bring our supplies. We'll rest here for the ni-"

"You will not delay this any longer, no-"

The resounding boom of Thunder clapping overhead stilled the words in the goddess' throat. No sooner did the rumbling come to an end, did the shadows around us begin to elongate.

"Might I remind you, Aunty, that the children of the big three aren't like their parents."

Demeter stared at me, and I smirked as I felt Nico's presence in my shadows. I made a show of glancing down to draw the goddess' eyes to my shadow. His obsidian eyes peered out as the shadows obscured any sight of him below his eyes. He stared with heated defiance at the goddess before us, who shivered slightly at the sight of him.

"One night, Perseus."

I nodded at Nico and the boy sank back into my shadow. I turned back to the goddess, but she had already disappeared, in her place were all of our tents and supplies.

"Was the thunder you?" I turned to Adrian and shook my head.

"Probably Thalia. Nico must have gotten onto her quickly before he came my way."

"I'd love to have a secret weapon like him any day."

I chuckled at Kerwin's response. "Don't bet on it. It's a pact that we made. Now that we're all learning teleportation abilities, we can act on it a lot better."

"You're saying that Thalia can teleport?"

"Still figuring out a few of the intricacies. She got jealous when I told her I could, even though I need to be in the ocean still, and had Artemis teach her."

"Aren't we being a little too calm and collected about all of this?"

I turned to Tassos with a sigh. "We were just pulled from training. I'm not sending you out to fight whatever it is we're going to have to fight exhausted. Now everyone, take the rest of the day off and get some rest tonight. We leave at the crack of dawn."

"Where are we going?"

I shrugged at Jerome, taking Chrysilla's hand and leading her to where my tent had been teleported to.

"Wherever it is the gods want us to."

A/N: It has been some time, hasn't it?

A few housekeeping notes since it's been a while.

I no longer have a dorm in the Emerald Library. It's all in accordance with their server rules and how inactive my chat had been, so I completely understand. I'm more shocked at myself for trying to convince myself I'd be able to keep the dorm alive. I'm going to blame Covid for the decrease in my social skills and leave that there.

In other news, Fanfiction has been a bit buggy with the emails recently, so I haven't seen your reviews for a while. Looking back at them now, I'm so glad to see that this has been so well received, even as a work with so many OC's. I really appreciate you all for giving my work a chance and sticking with me to this point. I'd be really interested in creating a space to keep you all updated on when I'm taking sudden breaks if that idea interests any of you. If you have an idea of a site that'll be good for that, where my long breaks from social media won't interfere with it, let me know in the reviews.

That should be all to update you all. Also, let me know what you guys thought about the chapter, with the word mule somewhere in you review. I'm trying to see who actually reads these.

Next chapter will be out on Sunday.

Anyway, whenever it is that this comes out, I hope you're all having a great day. See you all next time!

-ZedricSOZ