chapter seven

The Commanders of the Void stood in the meeting room of the Big House, being stared down by Chiron and the head counselors of each cabin.

"Who are you guys?" Thalia asked, her electric blue eyes boring holes into the team's souls.

"Like I said, we are the Commanders of the Void." Percy said, trying his best to not let his usual sass into his tone.

"No, you already told us that. What are your names?" Chiron inquired, his tone sill calm but an underlying sharpness to his voice.

"My name is Altum, I am the Supreme Commander of the Army of the Void."

"I am Fulgur, second-in-command."

"Sapientia. Third-in-command."

"My name is Gaza, I am fourth-in-command."

"I am Animali, and I am fifth-in-command."

"I am Incantator, sixth-in-command."

"They call me Ignis, seventh-in-command of the Army of the Void."

"Your names are in Latin? Are you demigods?" Chiron asked, taking a few, cautious steps towards the team.

"Yes to both questions, our names are in Latin and we are demigods." Percy's voice came out almost steely as he answered the questions.

"So you're here to help us with the war? Where were you guys for the last two?" Nico snapped, glaring at the commanders with venom in his eyes. Ever since the "death" of the Seven and two straight years of searching, he had become bitter and distraught.

Annabeth turned towards the boy who she had missed so dearly, her heart breaking at the broken person he had become.

"We weren't needed for your past wars, but this is a different situation. The enemy you're dealing with is one that is more powerful than you have ever dealt with before." She spoke, her cool and collected tone sending the room into silence. "So will you allow us to help? Or will you allow your world to be destroyed?"

"If Void himself sent you, then you are here for a good reason." Chiron said, a small smile spreading across his features. "Please, help us save our home."

"That's what we're here to do. Now if you could, could you direct us to a place where we can set up our camp?" Percy asked, being met with a nod from the Centaur.

Chiron led them out of the Big House, walking towards an empty spot next to the Zeus cabin.

"You may set up your camp here. If you need anything, please just ask. Now I have some business to attend to, so I'll have to excuse myself." Chiron sent the team a smile before galloping off back towards the Big House, leaving the team alone. Well, as alone as they could be with a crowd of nosy demigod campers watching their every move.

"Well Altum, show them your stuff," Jason nudged Percy, being met with a chuckle and a nudge in reply.

Percy closed his eyes, feeling a familiar tug in his gut as he imagined a large, black, two-story cabin in his mind. He imagined each room, each space, each appliance, with as much detail as he could possibly conjure. He held his hand out, the feeling in his gut intensifying until it began to dim, allowing Percy to finally open his eyes.

Instead of the empty space that was previously in front of the team, a large, black-colored cabin stood proudly.

"Impressive," Leo breathed out, giving Percy a friendly slap on the shoulder. The crowd of demigods seemed to share this sentiment, whispers of awe sweeping through the crowd.

"Well, let's go see our home for the next few weeks." Percy said, walking up to front door and opening it with a flourish.

The team piled into the house, Leo closing the door shut behind them. Percy pressed down onto his amulet, his uniform disappearing with the golden light.

"I charmed the doors so only we can enter, so it's safe to take off our uniforms in here." He explained, the rest of the team pressing on their amulets afterwards.

"Thank goodness, the last thing I want is a nosy camper spying on us in our own cabin," Piper said, plopping down onto a sofa that was in the living room. "Love what you did with the place Perce, it's tasteful."

Piper was right. Although the outside looked pretty similar to the other cabins scattered around the camp, the inside looked like a beautiful modern house, marble countertops and all.

"Okay, let's get unpacked and settled in, then I think we should go visit our parents on Olympus." Percy said. "I'm pretty sure I made everyone a room, but you guys can just sleep wherever you want, it doesn't matter." He made his way towards the staircase, everyone following him up the stairs.

"I call this room!" Leo said, running to the room at the end of the hall and plopping his stuff down on the bed inside.

"Wanna share?" Annabeth nudged Percy, a smile painted on her face as a piece of her blonde hair fell down onto her face.

"Of course." Percy led her to the first room next to the staircase, setting his stuff on the king bed that sat inside. Annabeth followed suit, hearing the laughter of the rest of the team as they claimed their rooms.

Annabeth and Percy sat in silence for a minute, each beginning to unpack their bags into the dresser that sat opposite of the bed.

"So Perce, how are you feeling about all of this? Like, honestly?" She asked her boyfriend, hearing a sigh in return.

Percy sat himself on the edge of the bed, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm happy to see everyone again, I just wish they knew that it was actually us," He began, Annabeth nodding in agreement. "But for the first time in a really long time, I feel-" He paused.

"I feel scared."

—————

"So what do you think of those Commanders of the Void?" Thalia asked Nico as they strolled through camp, each needing a break from all the commotion that was happening near the cabins.

"I don't know. Like who even are they? Why are they showing up now, when we could've used their help for the last two wars? Maybe if those 'Commanders of the Void' bothered to help us before, the Seven would still be alive." Venom seeped out of every word Nico uttered. Thalia sighed, stopping in her tracks and grabbing Nico's arm.

"Nico," She paused. "You said it yourself, the Seven aren't in the underworld. That means they're somewhere out there, we just don't know where they are yet. Plus, there's something familiar about the commanders right? I can't put a finger on it but," She thought deeply, remembering how when she heard Altum's voice for the first time, something in her recognized the tone.

"Yeah, there's something weird about them for sure," Nico said, thinking back on the team of demigods clad in black. "Like why do they have to cover their faces? We're all on the same team here,"

"Did you see the icons on their backs? They were these golden symbols, I could barely make them out but I think their second command—His name was Fulgur I think?—had a lightning bolt on his shoulder. Maybe he's a son of Zeus?" Thalia thought aloud, being met with a silence from Nico.

"Well, whoever they are, they seem like they're here to help. But I still think we should keep an eye on them, there's just something about them that doesn't sit right with me," Nico said, and Thalia nodded in response.

"Agreed." 

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so here's a brand new chapter of this story!

i am beginning to really love writing this story, so i hope you guys like just as much as i do. thank you so much for reading this, every read, vote, and comment means the world to me.

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