"I see," Percy said, considering the story that Bianca and Hazel had told. "That does explain many things."
"The Greek camp is not a threat to Rome," Hazel stated, again. "It's just that the gods split us up, as we always come into conflict. But Lady Juno took a gamble when she delivered Bianca to Camp Jupiter. She wouldn't have done that if the Greeks were a threat to Rome."
"Fine," Percy stated. "I suppose I will believe you. Besides," he gave Bianca a teasing grin. "If the Greeks managed to produce you, then I suppose they must not be that bad."
Bianca gave him a teasing shove, that almost sent him overboard.
"Woah, woah!" Percy protested, laughing. "You almost sent me overboard!"
But Bianca had already locked her eyes onto the swiftly approaching land, as they moved to dock the boat in a harbor.
"This does not look like Alaska," Bianca commented.
"You don't say," Percy dryly responded. "I think it's lacking a bit of the freezing cold and snow."
"So where are we?" Bianca asked as the boat jolted due to it hitting the wood of the docks.
"Seattle," Percy responded.
"Why are we stopping in Seattle?" Bianca asked, as they stepped out of the boat.
"Reyna asked me to find her sister," Percy responded, fishing a ring that hung from a string out from under his shirt, and showing it to the both of them. "Hylla."
"She's Reyna's sister?" Hazel exclaimed, eyes wide, stopping suddenly in the middle of the street. "I'd wondered why Reyna looked so familiar when I met her."
Percy looked at her in surprise. "You know her?"
Hazel resumed walking. "The Hunters have worked with the Amazons before, and we're aware of each other."
Percy shrugged, leading the group forward. "I have no idea. Reyna only told me her sister's name, and that she would be a helpful ally to the legion. And where to find them," he continued, stopping in front of an office building with the word Amazon on it.
"The Amazons are… Amazon?" Bianca doubtfully stated, staring up at the sign in front of them.
"The gods move with Western Civilization," Percy said. "And the Amazons move with them."
Percy reached forward for the door, pulling it open, and motioning for the two of them to enter the building. Standing in the middle of the room was a woman in a black pantsuit, with long auburn hair and a security guard's earpiece. She had a nametag that said her name: Kinzie. Her smile was friendly, but Percy could immediately tell that it was fake.
Her eyes glanced at their weapons, before settling on on Hazel, and the silver bow on her back. Her smile then became real, although Percy could see her guard was still high.
"Hazel!" Kinzie exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in so long! What're you doing here? And you're traveling with a male too? I thought you Hunters all hated men."
Hazel relaxed, returning Kinzie's smile. "It hasn't been that long Kinzie, just a few years. Seattle was on the way for the place we have to go for our Quest, and one of my praetors suggested we stop by. And Kinzie… you always knew that that was never a problem for me."
"Not that long?" Kinzie rolled her eyes. "I'd forgotten how you Hunters get with your blessings from Ar- Diana. So why did they suggest you stop by…?"
Percy could see Kinzie looking over him and Bianca again, reassessing them now that she knew they were with Hazel. At Kinzie's question, Hazel glanced back at him, deferring to his authority. He looked to Kinzie, asking for permission to speak. Reyna had warned him before they left of how the Amazons got with men.
"Well, at least you have some respect unlike most others of your kind. You may speak, male," Kinzie said, nodding dismissively at him.
He immediately straightened, his hands clasped behind his back. "I am Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, praetor of the 12th Legion Fulminata," he said. "My colleague, Reyna, asked me to find her sister, Hylla."
"Hylla? What do you want to do with her?" Kinzie skeptically responded.
"The legion is in trouble. Our augur, Octavian, has foreseen that we will be attacked on the day of the Feast of Fortuna. I am requesting the help of the Amazons on behalf of Reyna."
Kinzie looked back to Hazel.
"The Legion does need help, desperately," Hazel said, meeting Kinzie's eyes resolutely. "At least let us meet with Hylla and your Queen. We will understand if you decide to not help us, but know that without you, the Legion may fall."
Kinzie nodded sharply. "Very well," she said. As she said so, half a dozen or so girls stepped up the stairs and surrounded them. Percy tensed, and his hand slid to the sheathed sword at his side. "We'll take you to meet Queen Hylla. She'll decide whether or not to help you."
'Queen?' Bianca mouthed toward Percy.
He shrugged in response.
They made their way down to a huge underground cavern, full of various products, all sold on Amazon. As they walked through the warehouse, Percy watched Hazel stiffen and stop, eyes suck to a horse.
"It's him," Hazel whispered. Percy questioningly looked at her.
"Hazel?" Kinzie asked, turning toward her, following her gaze. "...ah. Beautiful, isn't he?"
"He's not for sale… is he?" Hazel asked.
"No, no," Kinzie laughed. "That's Arion. He's a royal treasure of the Amazons, believed to only be claimed by our most courageous warrior if the prophecy is to be believed."
"The prophecy?" Bianca asked, intrigued.
"Ah, it's nothing," Kinzie hurridly dismissed, continuing forward, leading them past the cage. Hazel remained where she stood for a few moments, unblinkingly holding eye contact with Arion, until an Amazon behind them gently shoved her forward.
She hastily caught up with the group.
Hylla, was in fact, queen of the Amazons. She sat on a throne built of pallets of books, staring down at a group of arguing Amazons.
"My Queen," Kinzie started, kneeling. "These demigods-"
"You," Hylla snarled, shooting to her feet. "You have some nerve coming here," she continued, staring straight at Bianca.
Percy stepped in front of her. "Woah there, I don't know what Bianca did to you, but-"
"Circe's island, you were the one with the clipboard greeting us," Bianca interrupted. "It was in the Sea of Monsters. We released the pirates. After we found her again and after she did something to me I started to remember."
"What do you mean 'found her again?' Nevermind, that doesn't matter. Don't tell me you got amnesia somehow," Hylla sneered. "Actually, that would explain how you had the stupidity to come here knowing what you did to my sister and I."
"Hylla, calm down. You know me," Hazel said, looking at Hylla pleadingly. "You know that I would never wish the Amazons harm. Please, just give us a chance."
Hylla seemed to calm down slightly at Hazel's word, settling back onto her throne. She stared down at them imperiously. "Very well. Speak," she ordered Hazel.
Hazel glanced back at Percy, holding her hand out, asking for something. Percy slipped the ring off the necklace, handing it to her.
"Your sister, Reyna. She's our praetor, alongside Percy. She sent us," Hazel started, holding out the ring for Hylla to inspect.
Upon seeing the ring, she paled. "Continue," she stated.
Hazel then explained their situation, glossing over Camp Jupiter, the giants, their army, and the fact that Thanatos was chained. Just as Hazel was finishing, a group of women entered their vicinity.
"That's why we came. Reyna needs your help. We need your help. We've worked together before, Hylla. Let's work together once again," Hazel appeased, extending her hand out to Hylla.
Hylla looked back at her, conflicted.
"Romans need our help?" one of the women, seemingly their leader, sneered as she approached. "That's new. When I was Queen, we regularly fought them! They were our enemies, and now they're saying they need our help?" she laughed.
"Otrera, must I remind you that you are not queen anymore," Hylla responded through gritted teeth. "You are here as my guest, nothing more."
"Ha!" Otrera laughed. "Until tonight that is!"
Hylla glared daggers at her. "Yes, until tonight. And I remain Queen now, unless your time in the Underworld has disrupted your reasoning of how the day-night cycle works."
"You talk as if you were there back with the Romans," Bianca stared wide-eyed at Otrera. "But that's impossible. The Amazons never had immortality."
Otrera smirked at her. "Not if the Doors of Death have been opened."
Bianca twisted her ring, revealing her stygian iron sword. "You're an escaped soul," she said. "You should be back in the Underworld."
A flicker of fear entered Otrera's eyes as she glanced down at Bianca's sword. "You're a child of Hades."
Bianca smiled darkly. "Death is my father's domain. And you should be dead."
A loud CRACK! echoed through the cavern, and a fracture on the floor appeared. Undead skeletons dragged themselves out of it and stepped towards Otrera, who drew her sword.
"What are you doing?" she shrieked, swinging the sword from side to side. It hit some of the skeletons, causing them to collapse onto the floor, only to start reforming seconds later.
The undead surrounded her and grabbed hold, beginning to drag her towards the crack in the ground. The Amazons were frozen as they watched the escaped soul be forced back to where she had come from.