"Son of death and curse of flame," Rachel repeated. Thankfully, her voice was back to normal rather than that ancient, primal voice that sounded like it was from a void beyond human comprehension. Leo hated it when cute girls got possessed and then proceeded to recount his death via poetry. It really put a damper on things.

"Son of death is me, no question about it," Nico said. His hands were folded on the table, and he was slouching. He seemed paler than usual, if possible, the dark shadows under his eyes prominent. But there was a gleam to his eyes--like embers still glowing dimly after the flame had been snuffed out. His determination about this prophecy, this supposed "quest" outran Leo's own perception of what the hell was even going on here in the first place.

"And curse of flame?" Chiron questioned, though he turned to Leo with barely a second to make it look convincing. One of the Hermes campers had told him that the centaur had at one time disguised himself as a teacher to protect "special case" demigods--Leo wasn't sure what "special case" meant, probably just really powerful like Nico. Either way, Chiron would be the first teacher to tell if Leo were causing trouble in school, and the first one to put a stop to it.

"Is it..." Leo started, hating how small his voice sounded. He was the only camper in the room who wasn't a counselor, and he was only there at Nico's insistence. Then again, they could suddenly decide him a fraud at this moment, decide he couldn't be the ultra-cool demigod to venture into the "tomb of eternal sleep" (which sounded like a heavy metal band Nico probably had on his iPod...or maybe demigods had icarusPods?).

"Is it a curse?" Leo asked. "I mean, yeah, I guess, but like...it can be beneficial, too, in some way, right?" he looked down at the texture of the wood as he traced over the surface with his thumb. He forced a smile as he looked around at the other campers, never locking eyes with one person for too long. "I mean, if you needed a steak cooked, why fire up the grill when you can just put it on my hand, right?"

The other campers blinked. Leo felt as if he were in court. Again.

"Leo," Chiron started. "Pyrokinesis is not a common...trait of the children of Hephaestus." He said trait as if it were about as pleasant as a root canal. "The last child of Hephaestus to have this ability was Thomas Faynor. This--obviously--was not taught in mortal history classes, but he was, essentially, the cause for the Great Fire of London in 1666."

Leo tensed, sitting up straighter, as if Chiron were about to send him home with his report card. Leo never paid attention in history class--sure, some wars were interesting, but the way they were taught was boring. He was more of a science guy, really. "Great Fire, huh?" Leo asked. "I'm guessing it, like...killed a lot of people, and was absolutely not beneficial to anyone?"

Chiron's mouth straightened into a thin line. "Well, yes, but one case does not define all future cases. You should try to view this trait as a gift. If you can harness this power, you can use it to your advantage. The alternative..." he glanced over Leo's shoulder and to the wall for a moment so brief, Leo was sure he was seeing things. "There is no alternative."

"Right," Leo let out a shaky breath, something that was somehow still a laugh. "No pressure. So...son of death and curse of flame? No doubt the quest is for Nico...and for me, I guess..." He would not verbally ask to opt out of the quest, not in front of all these campers, but if the wide-eyed stare-down he was giving Chiron held any indication, he would gladly step down if given the opportunity.

"That would appear to be the case," Chiron agreed. "Although you are a being of free will and cannot be forced to go on a quest, if something unfortunate were to happen to a god or goddess as a result...the gods would certainly not be ruling in your favor after that."

Leo glanced over at Nico, eyebrows raised, a full 'can you believe this guy?' look. Nico just shrugged, and perhaps his jacket was a bit big on his scrawny shoulders (hi, pot, meet kettle! Leo told himself), but Nico seemed to be burrowing into himself like a turtle. Leo remembered what Nico had said before slicing up that hellhound--that he'd been in-and-out of camp dozens of times. Did this guy have more quest notches on his belt than those guys at his old school that claimed to have hooked up with every girl behind the bleachers?

"So, the gods would curse me. Great! As if everything before this has been smooth sailing." Leo laughed to himself. "But it's fine, really! Because Nico is one of the fiercest dudes out there with a sword, and he's probably got tons of experience with quests."

A silence fell over the cabin that was so loud, Leo could hear literal crickets. In winter. In a weather-and-bug protected camp.

Nico shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Actually...I have some experience in battle, but I've never technically been on a quest."

Oh, so Nico had exactly as many notches on his belt as those guys from school. Zero.

Leo smiled thinly, glancing back at Chiron. "What's the next line of the prophecy?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than before.

"Trek through the darkness to the land beyond name," Rachel supplied. "Anyone have any idea what land is beyond name?"

Nico drummed his fingers against the table, then looked up, face shadowed by his shaggy hair. Leo would laugh if he hadn't known this guy's history--he was exactly like the edgy kids at his old school, only he had a reason.

"Tartarus," he said. "I've never been, but most people hesitate to say the name. Not to mention-the tomb of sleep...that has to be related to Hypnos, who originated there. And the queen of eve...that has to be Hypnos's mother, Nyx. Only her cause...I'm not entirely sure what that could be..."

"Ceaseless frost," Piper spoke up suddenly. Leo looked her way, as did several others. Piper blushed, focusing on her folded hands resting on the table; Leo had a feeling that, despite being a daughter of the love goddess, she did not like being the center of attention. "Queen of eve, ceaseless frost. If Nyx were planning something like...an endless night...there would be no sun, and the earth would grow cold."

"No sun?" Leo found himself grinning, unable to handle the somber faces around the table, as if these guys were planning a funeral for the sun. "What, you think this...this night goddess can just turn off the sun? I know the myths talk about a sun chariot, but come on, there are limits and science to this kind of stuff...right...?"

Nico shook his head. "No, the sun chariot is definitely real. I rode in it myself, when I first came here."

Leo just blinked, dumbfounded. He imagined a gloomy guy like Nico, piloting a chariot decorated with sun beams and rainbows. Then again, he must have been, what, ten years old when he came here? He might have not been so gloomy back then.

"But, no, I don't think Nyx stole the sun chariot. Apollo could [erhaps build a force and retrieve it, or even have a replacement made, I imagine. No, I think something must have happened to Apollo himself." Nico said. "Nyx probably devised some sort of plan to kidnap him, to eliminate the source."

"Alright," Chiron stepped (or clopped?) in. "As much as I encourage theorizing, there are limits. Prophecies are not clear, but heroes running rampant with ideas is never wise. Let us start simply: Nico, you wish to start a quest to..." even the old centaur hesitated. "To Tartarus to locate Nyx. In any case, as the prophecy states, her cause must be stopped. You may take two companions--"

"I don't need to," Nico shook his head. "I've been thinking about it, and--"

"What?" Leo interjected. "Have you been thinking about it for five minutes? Look, son-of-death, you're gonna need all the help you can get!"

Nico's eyes narrowed, pale cheeks flushing. "All I'm saying is that I don't need your help. You're a nice guy, but you're new, and if you didn't even know the sun chariot was real--"

"Guys!" Piper stood. "Stop it! I'm sure you can both find ways to be useful on the quest!"

It was as though Piper had painted Leo's vision with a sort of glittery haze. All of the sudden, he found Nico a lot less stubborn. He wanted them to get along, to really do well on this quest together into the depths of hell. Also, Piper was really pretty.

Leo's slow blinking and adamant gaze was shattered by a sudden crack--Nico had slammed a knife (where had he gotten that?) into the table. He glared at Piper, breathing heavy.

"You said you wouldn't," Nico said, his voice small, standing upright and storming out of the cabin.

"I--I didn't mean--" Piper made a sound like a choked-off sob before running after him. "Nico, wait!"

Leo shook his head, clearing his brain. It was as if some spell was cast, and now he had to blow the dust out like an old game cartridge. "What," he asked Chiron and the rest of the counselors. "Was that?"

Chiron sighed, giving the knife impaled in the table a 'not-mad-just-disappointed' look. "I believe that is a question best suited for Ms. McLean. In-fighting is common before quests, but I leave it between the campers unless the situation grows dire. I will give you tonight, Leo, before a decision must be made. I may have discouraged Mr. di Angelo's conclusion, but...I did not dismiss it entirely. Listen to the words of the prophecy, take them to heart...if you need me, I will be...cleaning up..."

Leo frowned. He felt bad for the old centaur. His face flushed under the attention of the other demigods--even though he wasn't sure what he was getting into, he was glad to have an excuse to leave. He dislodged the knife--harder than it looked, how strong was this guy?--and made his way out of the Big Cabin.

After a scenic route across the cabins in the dark, Leo tracked down Piper. She wasn't hard to find, as all Leo needed to do was track down the knocking and calling she was doing at cabin thirteen. The front door had a green flaming torch lighting up a skull--what creature it was or if it was real, Leo didn't know. He was just surprised he didn't hear MCR coming from inside.

"Nico, come on!" Piper called. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to...I thought you understood what it was like, losing control! I just--oh..." At the sound of Leo's steps, Piper turned, pulling away from the door. "Leo...I'm so sorry..."

Leo's brows furrowed. "Sorry for what?" he asked. "I...don't really know what happened in there..."

Piper's face fell, seeming even more crushed. She sat on the top stair of the cabin, leaning against the door, and Leo joined her.

"What I did in there, when I told you guys to stop fighting...that was Charmspeak. It's a rare ability among children of Aphrodite, but...apparently I was 'blessed', or whatever." Piper explained, nervously twiddling with a section of hair, subconsciously braiding it with nimble fingers. "Basically, I put this power in my voice, and it's very...persuasive. I used it on accident a lot as a kid, to get what I wanted...sometimes on purpose, too. But ever since I came here and met all these nice people, I never want to do it again. I can't just take a person's free will like that..."

"Oh," Leo studied the blades of grass curling up around his shoes, lit by the artificial bright green light. "I mean, yeah, that's not great, but it's okay. I know it was an accident. You know firsthand that I'd be a flaming hypocrite to judge. Besides, that could be pretty useful on the quest, once Zombie Boy in there gives us his blessing."

"Us?" now it was Piper's turn to look confused. "You mean...you understood that line in the prophecy, the 'daughter of doves' thing?"

"Sure I did!" Leo replied, feeling his heart skip a beat, his smile a tad nervous. "There's more to me than good looks, Beauty Queen." Hopefully, that settled Piper for now. Sure, that orientation video was not very informative, but he didn't have to explain to everyone why he knew these things about Greek mythology.

Piper laughed, nodding as she settled against the door. "I know we're a couple of newbies, but...I really just want to help Nico. Doing this on his own would be suicide..."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Leo and Piper toppled over into the cabin. Leo looked up to see Nico scowling at them, even more menacing from a bug's perspective.

"You're really not selling me on bringing you two," Nico said. "But, seeing as you would most likely sneak after me anyway, you might as well. Get packed--only essentials--and meet back here at nine AM. Otherwise, I really am leaving without you."

"Yes!" Piper cheered, hopping up and going in for a hug before hesitating and pulling away. "Still not a hugger, right. And...I'm still really sorry, by the way. About what happened in the Big House."

Nico shrugged. "I know you didn't mean to, and I shouldn't have jumped the gun. Besides, Leo's right. You'll be far more persuasive if need be than I will on this quest."

"And if Piper can't persuade monsters not to eat us, I can light them up!" Leo added, starting a small fire in his hand, but putting out quickly in case it caught onto something. "And remember how I sliced that Venti guy up earlier? Man, that was fun, that guy was an asshole. Oh, speaking of slicing," Leo pulled out Nico's knife from his jacket pocket. "Chiron didn't appreciate the new decoration, so I brought it back for you."

Nico studied the knife for a moment, then looked up at Leo with something of an amused look, as if Leo were a dog that had brought over a toy. "Keep it. You'll need it."

"Oh," Leo held onto it, running a thumb along the hilt, which had some ancient Greek letters engraved onto it. "Thanks, man."

"You're welcome." Nico's smile grew thin. "Now get out and let me pack."

"Will do," Piper nudged Leo's arm. "Let's get out of here before he changes his mind." With that, she left the cabin, Leo following close behind.

---

Leo wasn't sure if he was actually supposed to be excited by the prospect of a death-defying quest.

It didn't really make sense, venturing to Tartarus to find Nyx. What if she didn't have Apollo, and this was all some big ploy? Couldn't the other gods rescue Apollo? Would the sun really just fall out of the sky?

Leo rolled over in his bed. His mind rushed through so many stages of denial and panic about this quest, he'd barely had time to register how cool the bunks were. Bunks that came out of the wall at the push of a button? Awesome! Compartments big enough to fit two suitcases worth of things also compacted into the wall? Put it on Shark Tank! It was just too bad he'd get to enjoy it for one night before getting shoved back out into the mortal world. He almost wished he was doing some sort of weird godly pyramid scheme instead: "If you ask your three godly friends to sign up for Nectar Plus, I won't face the wrath of a fearsome goddess of the darkness!"

Leo sighed, rolling over again. At least he knew that when his thoughts got more ridiculous, he was getting more tired.

One of the digital clocks built into the wall blinked at him: 12:57 AM. Leo blinked back, his eyelids heavy before finally drifting to sleep.

Leo had always had peculiar dreams. Some about people he knew, some about people that might have been. His mom always said he had an overactive imagination, though she loved to hear about his dreams; when he had nightmares, his past foster parents yelled at him to not wake them up with his screams.

This didn't seem like a nightmare, though.

When Leo opened his eyes, he was in a bright garden of some sort. A circle of columns wrapped around a collection of flowers and shrubbery, with an ornate fountain in the middle. Birds of all colors--some Leo was sure couldn't possibly exist--swooped down to drink from the fountain. Just as Leo noticed a bird with feathers seemed to fade from orange to purple in the light, some footsteps from behind him caught his attention.

"--not to worry." A woman's voice said. "I won't be intruding for very long, I'm afraid."

Leo turned to see a woman had sat down on the nearby stone bench. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, pale, with long, curly brown hair adorned with pink flowers. She was wearing one of those Ancient Greek chiton things Leo had seen pictures of in the Big House. Leo felt this way with most girls, but this woman was seriously so beautiful, it almost hurt to look at her. Her smile lit up the already vibrant garden, though there was a certain sadness that she seemed to carry as well. She held her stomach, which was swollen considerably. This was not one of Leo's 'four-pizza-slices' food babies: this lady had to be eight months pregnant.

"It's not an intrusion at all, my lady," another woman--a teenaged girl, by the looks of her--insisted. This girl had dark skin, short curls adorned with tiny white flowers, and a light green chiton with gold accents. There was something about the pair of them that seemed...powerful and non-human, though Leo could not pick up on what yet.

"Wherever I go, she finds me." the older woman continued. "She punishes all who aid me, you have to understand, Aurea. I'm afraid--"

"Stress is bad for the baby," the girl, Aurea, said, soft but insistent, a gentle hand on the woman's stomach. "Rest, and I shall find a way to keep you and the baby safe until delivery."

"The babies," the woman corrected, rubbing a thumb fondly over her stomach. "I feel two sets of feet when they kick, it's quite the terror." she laughed, and Leo could see just how much care she had for her babies, and how exhausted she must have been from the efforts of her pursuer. "But thank you. I shall repay your hospitality ten times over once my children are born..."

Aurea held out her hand, and from it she grew a fresh strawberry, which she offered the woman. "No repayment will be necessary, Lady Leto."

As the woman reached out and took the strawberry, she opened her mouth to speak.

Before Leo could hear a word she had to say, however, a camper's digital alarm clock rang with what had to be Olympus's most annoying wake-up call. Who set an alarm for--Leo checked the time--8:30 AM?

Oh, right. The demigod who gave himself way too much credit for how fast he could get ready. He swung out of bed, hoping the son of death at least had some coffee and donuts ready in his cabin when he got there.