Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Rick Riordan does.

Leo's P.O.V.

Leo recognized the commons at Camp Half-Blood. There was no sound, but Clarisse La Rue from the Ares Cabin was yelling orders at the campers, forming them into lines.

Leo's brethren from Cabin Nine hurried around, fitting everyone with armour and passing out weapons.

Even Chiron the centaur was dressed for war. He trotted up and down the ranks, his plumed helmet gleaming, his legs decked in bronze greaves. His usual friendly smile was gone, replaced with a look of grim determination.

In the distance, Greek triremes floated on Long Island Sound, prepped for war. Along the hills, catapults were being primed. Satyrs patrolled the fields, and riders on pegasi circled overhead, alert for aerial attacks.

"Your friends?" Calypso asked. Leo nodded. His face felt numb.

"They're preparing for war."

"Against whom?"

"Look." Leo said. The scene changed. A phalanx of Roman demigods marched through a moonlit vineyard. An illuminated sign in the distance read: GOLDSMITH WINERY.

"I've seen that sign before," Leo said. "That's not far from Camp Half-Blood."

Suddenly the Roman ranks deteriorated into chaos. Demigods scattered. Shields fell. Javelins swung wildly, like the whole group had stepped in fire ants.

Darting through the moonlight were two small hairy shapes dressed in mismatched clothes and garish hats. They seemed to be everywhere at once – whacking Romans on the head, stealing their weapons, cutting their belts so their trousers fell around their ankles.

Leo couldn't help grinning. "Those beautiful little troublemakers! They kept their promise."

Calypso leaned in, watching the Kerkopes. "Cousins of yours?"

"Ha ha ha, no," Leo said. "Couple of dwarfs I met in Bologna. I sent them to slow down the Romans, and they're doing it."

"But for how long?" Calypso wondered.

Good question.

The scene shifted again. Leo saw Octavian – that no-good blond scarecrow of an augur. He stood in a gas-station parking lot, surrounded by black SUVs and Roman demigods. He held up a long pole wrapped in canvas. When he uncovered it, a golden eagle glimmered at the top.

"Oh, that's not good," Leo said.

"A Roman standard," Calypso noted. "Yeah. And this one shoots lightning, according to Percy."

As soon as he said Percy's name, Leo regretted it. He glanced at Calypso. He could see in her eyes how much she was struggling, trying to marshal her emotions into neat orderly rows like strands on her loom. What surprised Leo most was the surge of anger he felt. It wasn't just annoyance or jealousy. He was mad at Percy for hurting this girl.

But it quickly disappeared when he realised the pain he must be going through now. He wanted to do a lot of things like screaming or throwing a tantrum or crying but instead, he refocused on the holographic images.

Now he saw a single rider – Reyna, the praetor from Camp Jupiter – flying through a storm on the back of a light-brown pegasus. Reyna's dark hair flew in the wind. Her purple cloak fluttered, revealing the glimmer of her armour. She was bleeding from cuts on her arms and face.

Her pegasus's eyes were wild, his mouth slathering from hard riding, but Reyna peered steadfastly forward into the storm.

As Leo watched, a wild gryphon dived out of the clouds. It raked its claws across the horse's ribs, almost throwing Reyna. She drew her sword and slashed the monster down. Seconds later, three venti appeared – dark air spirits swirling like miniature tornadoes laced with lightning. Reyna charged them, yelling defiantly.

Then the bronze mirror went dark. "No!" Leo yelled. "No, not now. Show me what happens!" He banged on the mirror. "Calypso, can you sing again or something?"

She glared at him.

Was glaring her second language or something?

"I suppose that is your girlfriend? Your Penelope? Your Elizabeth? Your Annabeth?"

As soon as the words Annabeth Leo pursed his lips tightly. He tried to keep his mind away from the topic, but failed.

Calypso, apparently, noticed this. She narrowed her eyes, confused. "What happened? Did I say something wrong?"

I quickly switched back to my normal self and grinned. "Fooled you!"

She glared at me, luckily buying it.

"Anyway," I switched back to topic. " I need to see what happened! I need-"

NEED.

A voice rumbled in the ground beneath his feet.

Leo staggered, suddenly feeling like he was standing on the surface of a trampoline.

NEED is an overused word. A swirling human figure erupted from the sand – Leo's least favourite goddess, the Mistress of Mud, the Princess of Potty Sludge, Gaia herself.

Leo threw a pair of pliers at her. Unfortunately she wasn't solid and they passed right through. Her eyes were closed, but she didn't look asleep, exactly. She had a smile on her dust-devil face, as if she was intently listening to her favourite song.

Her sandy robes shifted and folded, reminding Leo of the undulating fins on that stupid shrimpzilla monster they'd fought in the Atlantic. For his money, though, Gaia was uglier.

You want to live.You want to join your friends. But you do not need this, my poor boy. It would make no difference. Your friends will die, regardless.

Leo's legs shook. He hated it, but whenever this witch appeared he felt like he was eight years old again, trapped in the lobby of his mom's machine shop, listening to Gaia's soothing evil voice while his mother was locked inside the burning warehouse, dying from heat and smoke.

"What I don't need," he growled, "is more lies from you, Dirt Face. You told me my great grandad died in the 1960s. Wrong! You told me-" I couldn't save my friends. His voice trembled. "You told me a lot of things, and I bet they're all wrong."

Gaia laughed knowingly. Her laughter was a soft rustling sound, like gravel trickling down a hill in the first moments of an avalanche.

I tried to help you make better choices. You could have saved yourself. But you defied me at every step. You built your ship. You joined that foolish quest. Now you are trapped here, helpless, while the mortal world dies.

Leo's hands burst into flame. He wanted to melt Gaia's sandy face to glass.

Then he felt Calypso's hand on his shoulder. "Gaia." Her voice was stern and steady. "You are not welcome."

Leo wished he could sound as confident as Calypso. Then he remembered that this annoying fifteen-year-old girl was actually the immortal daughter of a Titan.

Ah, Calypso. Gaia raised her arms as if for a hug. Still here, I see, despite the gods' promises. Why do you think that is, my dear grandchild? Are the Olympians being spiteful, leaving you with no company except this undergrown fool? Or have they simply forgotten you, because you are not

worth their time?

Calypso stared straight through the swirling face of Gaia, all the way to the horizon.

Yes. The Olympians are faithless. They do not give second chances. Why do you hold out hope? You supported your father, Atlas, in his great war. You knew that the gods must be destroyed. Why do you hesitate now? I offer you a chance that Zeus would never give you.

"Where were you these last three thousand years?" Calypso asked. "If you are so concerned with my fate, why do you visit me only now?"

The earth is slow to wake. War comes in its own time. But do not think it will pass you by on Ogygia. When I remake the world, this prison will be destroyed as well.

"Ogygia destroyed?" Calypso shook her head, as if she couldn't imagine those two words going together.

You do not have to be here when that happens. Join me now. Kill this boy. Spill his blood upon the earth, and help me to wake. I will free you and grant you any wish. Freedom. Revenge against the gods. Even a prize. Would you still have the demigod Percy Jackson? I will spare him for you. I will raise him from Tartarus. He will be yours to punish or to love, as you choose. Only kill this trespassing boy. Show your loyalty.

Several scenarios went through Leo's head – none of them good. He was positive Calypso would strangle him on the spot, or order her invisible wind servants to chop him into a Leo purée. Why wouldn't she? Gaia was making her the ultimate deal – kill one annoying guy, get a handsome one free!

Calypso thrust her hand towards Gaia in a three-fingered gesture Leo recognized from Camp HalfBlood: the Ancient Greek ward against evil. "This is not just my prison, Grandmother. It is my home. And you are the trespasser."

The wind ripped Gaia's form into nothingness, scattering the sand into the blue sky.

Leo swallowed. "Uh, don't take this the wrong way, but you didn't kill me. Are you crazy?"

Calypso's eyes smouldered with anger, but for once Leo didn't think the anger was aimed at him.

"Your friends must need you, or else Gaia would not ask for your death."

"I – uh, yeah. I guess."

"Then we have work to do,' she said. 'We must get you back to your ship."

(A/N:

Go on.

Kill me if you like.

I deserve it for not updating for so long.

Anyway, I have good news - IM HALFWAY DONE THE NEXT CHAPTER SO IM GONNA UPDATE REAL FAST NO JOKe.

I mean I should be updating fast anyway but- idk tbh.

So yaa..... And I might actually try to change my writing style a few chapters in the future so beware it might be cringy.

And also pls give me tips on how I can improve if u have any.

Peace out

~YEET)