"Do you guys realize that I really hate walking?" Hunter asks.

"Hunter Grace, you need to stop complaining right now," a woman says, appearing in front of us.

"Hecate!" I say.

"Yes, Carmen Jackson, its Hecate," she says. I roll my eyes. "I see you have met my daughter, Hannah Ripley."

"Hannah's your daughter?" Raphael asks.

"Yes she is," Hecate says. "She's a very promising daughter. But I need to get to the important matters."

"And they are?" Amelia asks her.

"The person you are going up against hasn't been alive for thousands of years. I told you that part. He has been in Tartarus, reforming and becoming stronger by the day," she started out. "He will rise and there will be a great battle. You need to know this: he is gathering anyone that will help him become even stronger. Mere mortals, other minor gods and goddess, demi-gods alike."

"Why are you telling us this?" Hunter asks her.

"Lord Zeus doesn't want me to but I am here anyways," she says.

"That still didn't answer our question," I tell her.

She glares at me. "Soon, Carmen Jackson, you will not be here to talk to me like that," she says. "And the reason I'm telling you is that you need to prepare for this."

I nod. "Good that you understand what's going to happen. You need all the help you can get. I will recruit gods and goddess to help you in this war," Hecate says.

"Why would you help us though?" Amelia asks.

"Amelia Johnson, you would not like to see what the monster will bring. He will bring destruction you can't even imagine! Even I don't want to fight him but you demi-gods need all the help you can get! You have never seen him in action but I have! Pain and destruction was everywhere," she says, reliving her sad memories. Amelia looks very pale.

"W-whats going to happen?" I ask.

"Doom. That's what's going to happen if you don't fight him! If he gets his hands on the Staff of Ares, everything will be gone. He will make a new world with all of his followers and we will die! Innocent mortals that doesn't even know what's going on will die! Do you want that?" Hecate asks with passion.

"No. No we don't. We will do everything in our power to to stop him, whoever he is," Hunter says, with a determined look in his eyes.

"OK demi-gods, see you at the battle," Hecate says and disappears.

I look at Raphael and Hunter. They seem to be at a loss for words. "W-we need to get going, I guess," Amelia says quietly.

I mentally glare at her. We walk silently and slowly toward the river.
*****
"Guys, is that a house up there?" I ask. "And is that a river?"

"It is!" Hunter exclaim. We start sprinting toward the house and see a light on inside it.

We sprint up a hill and finally make it to the house. There is a sign near the river but of course my dyslexia can't make me read it. Amelia and Hunter go around the left side of the house to check it out and Raphael and I go around the right side.

There were no windows on the sides of the house. When we got to the back, Hunter and Amelia were already there.

"There weren't any windows on the left side of the house," Amelia says when we meet up at the back.

"Weird," I say.

"Let's go inside," Raphael says.

I nod and we go around the house and Hunter opens the door slowly. I peer inside. Nothing but a small table and something behind it. I walk inside with my sword raised.

"Hello my sweet demi-gods," a woman's voice says. "Nice to finally see you again, Amelia."

Amelia smiles, unlike her other ones, this one looks evil. "Ah, sphinx, nice to see you. I finally got them to come," Amelia says.

I stare in horror at her. What is she doing? "Amelia?" I ask her.

She turns around and mouths 'shut your mouth'. She strides over to the sphinx, petting its mane.

"I've been the traitor the whole time," Amelia says. "Guess who sent the Crocotta after you guys? Me!"

Raphael looks hurt. Beyond hurt. "That's the reason why I came after you guys! Chiron didn't send me! I snuck out!" she says with her evil smile.

"Now dearie, don't get to ahead of yourself," the sphinx says. "They need to get three riddles to pass. And they surely won't pass them."

"We will," I say.

The sphinx shakes her head. "Who's answering first?" she asks.

Hunter raises his hand. "Ah, the least smart," the sphinx says. "You only experience me after I leave. What am I?"

Hunter thinks for a moment and says, "Yesterday."

"Correct," the sphinx says with a frown. "Who's going next?"

Raphael raises his hand next. "If I have it, I don't share it. If I share it, I don't have it. What am I?" The sphinx says.

"A secret," Raphael says quickly.

"Correct again. You are going next," the sphinx says with a frown. "Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it?"

What is that? Come on, Carmen, think! "Nothing. Its nothing," I say suddenly.

The sphinx's frown deepens. "Oh my. You guys passed the riddles. Master said you wouldn't," the sphinx says. "Well here it is. Ares Staff of War."

She hands it to me and I feel overwhelming strength. The sphinx disappears. "Amelia? How could you?" Raphael asks her.

"What?" she asks blankly.

"How could you be the traitor?" Raphael asks, clenching his hands.

"Raphael, I'm a double agent," she says. "I'm pretending to work for the evil titan, but I'm actually working for you guys."

Raphael looks confused. "Really? Are you just lying to us again?" he asks.

"No, Raphael. Please believe me," Amelia pleads to him.

He shakes his head. Hunter looks at me and shakes his head. "Come on guys, let's go back to Camp," I tell them. Finally, going home.