Thalia's POV

"I can walk on my own. It's really not that bad." I insisted.

"Alright fine," Reyna frowned, letting go of me. She watched as I limped along, my leg nearly giving out twice. "I wouldn't call that walking." 

"I'm doing fine. I'll be perfect in no time." I replied my stomach fluttering nervously. It figured. It would fucking figure that I would get injured. Neither of us said anything but we both knew I was too wounded to participate in any of the fighting. Reserved or not. "Damn it."

"I'm sorry Thalia," Reyna sighed. "But I think that maybe you got lucky. The fates are giving you something good for once."

"What do you mean? How is this good?" I asked.

"Come with me." Reyna said. I'd noticed how pale she'd gotten since wandering off.

"Okay." I grunted trying to take another step when my leg buckled. Reyna was quick to catch me.
"Like I said you can't walk." She helped support a majority of my weight as we headed to the far tower. "It's graphic."

Graphic was a simple way of putting it. I don't think I'd ever seen something so grotesque and horrible in my life. The way the body was shredded as if it'd gone through a meat grinder was nearly unbearable.

"Lycoan did this?" I asked my voice quiet.

"Yes," Reyna said simply.

"He's never done...that before at least not to a human. He only gets this bad when he's hungry." I said.

"Well it seems to me he's taken more of a liking to human flesh as of late." Reyna turned her head away unable to stare at it any longer. "Like I said. You're lucky."

"Yeah." I nodded. Sure, Reyna was right in a way. I was luck. I didn't have to fight which meant I didn't have to worry about ending up like human soup. But Reyna had to worry. Reyna wasn't 'lucky'. She had herself to worry about and knowing her, she was worried about everyone else as well. "But I'm sure you'll be fine."

"That's the thing." Reyna said her voice shaky. She explained to me her conversation with Hazel. That she'd been so worried and angry that's how the whole sharpie incident started. It's what she seemed to continuously hyper focus on because it worried her. "If things continue to go wrong I can only imagine what will happen."

"Reyna they aren't going to turn on you." I said. "The entire Roman camp looks up to you. You're a kid! They have to understand that."

"Thalia, out of the past fifteen praetors three have been assassinated." Reyna muttered, her hands shaking uncontrollably. "I know I should be focused on the war. On what's going to be here in an hour or so...but this is a turning point in more ways than one."

"War brings change but maybe it's good change. You don't know if it'll be bad." I said trying to reassure her.

"I just have this feeling. This feeling that everything is going to go wrong. That after today I'm going to lose everything." Her grip tightened on me slightly and I felt-well, I felt sad.

"I'll be safe. Not like I can fight much anyways so you won't lose me." I assured. But I knew that wasn't what she meant exactly. It wouldn't matter if I was safe as long as she wasn't. We made it slowly down the ladder of the wall where Reyna waited for me at the bottom.

I glanced about and it seemed like things had started to calm down a bit. Those who had been wounded were being tended to.

"Where have you two been?" Percy asked jogging over.

"Sorry, sorta got stabbed in the leg." I explained. His expression turned to one of worry.

"Are you okay? You can walk right? You're not dead?" Percy rattled off his questions.

"Yes,yes, and no obviously not." I snorted. Percy nodded and smiled slightly.

"Okay good to know. No ones been seriously injured except for-"

"The two dead guards." Reyna interrupted him. Percy nodded grimly. By now the word of what had happened had spread like a wild fire.  It put everyone on edge. The message was sent and it was very clear.

"No one's going to sleep anymore they're all just sitting awake in armor. Anxious and scared." Percy sighed. "But who can blame them?"

"Doesn't matter. We have about three hours max until day light." Reyna said. "If we can last until then everything should be better. No more sneak attacks and enemy night patrols."

"Right." Percy nodded. "I'm going to go make sure nothings on the beach."

I nodded. That would be another prime spot for an attack to occur but as far as I knew they had no navy.

"Come on." I said snapping Reyna out of whatever thoughts she was thinking. I noticed her spinning her ring over and over again on her finger. She was nervous and I knew it was secretly killing her on the inside.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"My cabin. It's quiet in there." She didn't say anything as we walked inside. I gladly collapsed onto my bed my legs practically sighing in relief. "Sit down."

Reyna did as told and still had yet to say anything.

"What's bugging you?" I asked studying her. "Besides what we've already talked about?"

"It's kind of stupid." Reyna said the corners of her mouth twitching into the faint beginning of a smile.

"Oh please you're talking to me. If one of us is gonna say something dumb it's most likely gonna be me." Reyna laughed lightly at this and seemed to relax a little though she continued to stare at her hands.

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "I've done some other thinking in my spare time."

"There's a surprise." I joked.

Reyna rolled here eyes and punched me lightly on the arm. "Shut up. Anyways it's less depressing stuff than earlier. It's actually kind of well...it depends."

"What?" I asked a little confused.

"Well, it depends whether it's a good thing or not by what happens." Reyna said fidgeting a bit.

"You know for someone whose typically specific you are being horribly vague." I said nudging her with my foot. Reyna sighed and rolled her eyes smacking me playfully.

"You're so annoying". She said.

"Oh I know." I laughed. "People tell me that everyday."

"Gods you really make me want to punch you in the face sometimes." Reyna laughed. "Anyways. First of all. I know you're not gonna be able to fight. And I know you want to help so I did some thinking. And I came up with this."

Reyna slipped the ring off of her finger and took my hand. She placed it in my palm and closed my fingers around it.

"You can use it to help. You'll be able to share your strength with the others when they need it." Reyna smiled.

"What? No I can't take this it's yours. You need it. I know it means a lot to you." I said trying to give it back but she wasn't having it.

"I'll be fine." Reyna insisted. "Really, I will. Besides you're the strongest person I know. Who knows? Maybe I'll need your help."

"No." I shook my head. "You're far better than I am, if anything you don't need it, but...if you do then I'll help."

"Thank you." Reyna smiled." There's one other thing too."

She seemed to grow steadily more uncomfortable. With a sigh she seemed to muster up the courage for whatever it was she wanted to say.

"Geez you act like what you're gonna say is the end of the world." I teased but when she looked up at me I knew that it was was serious. "Oh. Sorry."

"I'm not sure exactly how to say it..." Reyna cursed lightly under her breath. "But see I think that I maybe sort of kind of l-"

"Sorry to interrupt your little kumbaya but we gotta mobilize." Frank said out of breath. "Scouts say we have at best ten minutes and then things get real."

Reyna was on her feet in an instant. "Shit."

"Don't wait for me just go." I said managing to get slowly to my feet. Reyna nodded and took off at a sprint leaving me to wonder what she was going to say but never got the chance to.

Cursing the whole way I managed to stumble out of my cabin and glanced at the sky. The sun had yet to crest but the sky was getting lighter. I guess they arrived later than expected, time seemed to have flown by rather fast.

I turned to look at the walls where archers were scrambling up the ladders. The Stolls were already on top directing the troops. The squads were heading out through the gates to line the outside of the walls. Weapons and armor glistening like deadly fire.

Everyone rushed around the communication and war tent as orders were shouted and distributed. Traps were being checked and rearmed.

Going against my better judgment I made my way to the first wall. I was curious and I wanted to see what was happening. Gritting my teeth I climbed up though I was heavily out of breath.

My eyes studied what was sprawled out before me. The squads were armed and deadly. A combination of Greeks and legionnaires. I noticed Jason shifting slightly in his armor a bit of a nervous but calm air about him. It was odd to see him so strong and grown up. Carrying himself with such pride and power.

Those around him seemed to feed off of his energy. They too were calm and collected. Hylla was next to Leo the two of them exchanging snippets of conversation. You could tell they were doing everything in their power not to get too antsy.

Then their was Percy and Annabeth standing side by side completely relaxed having done this seemingly hundreds of times before. Percy pulled Annabeth's helmet off and kissed her quickly before slipping it back on her head. She rolled her eyes and smiled before slipping back into her battle mode.

Then their was Reyna who held herself with such pride and dignity it was hard to feel as though there were a chance the battle could be lost.

Lastly we're the gods. Athena was in full battle armor shield poised and spear in hand. She seemed to be the most comfortable out of everyone. A silver grey aura radiating around her.

Poseidon held his trident in hand a misty breeze billowing around him as he smiled almost cruelly. Hades had left having done his part already. I couldn't blame him he was eager to not ultimately piss off my father. In his place was Hermes whose winged sandals fluttering anxiously. Then there was Artemis standing in her chariot bow ready.

But what grabbed my attention the most was the mass growing closer in the distance. It was like a darkness swallowing up land little by little. It sprawled out like a plague green grass  and behind it was only more of the same darkness.

It seemed to never end like a tidal wave creeping closer. Like a nightmare invading your head. We watched, all of us, in painful and anxious silence.

I stared and stared and stared trying to make out something decipherable. After what felt like forever I could finally see five figures dressed in the same black armor hardly discernible leading their followers to battle. Lycoan trotted along beside them his wolves flanking the leaders.

His eyes glared a dark menacing color and I knew he was out for blood. Maybe Reyna was right. He did like the taste of human flesh. He threw his head back and howled a sharp pitch that pierced the sky.

The archers next to me grew antsy and raised their bows at the sound of the noise.

"Not yet! Arms down!" Travis said holding up his hand. "We fire on my count and my count only understood?"

Travis had an earpiece in his ear and he nodded at whoever was talking to him on the other side.

I turned my attention back to the battlefield. They were much closer now. At Lycoan's second howl they began to trot at a quick pace closing the distance even more. The energy in the air was charged and thick.

"Hold!" Travis yelled. As many of the archers raised their bows again. Lycoan let loose another howl that turned into a growl and then they broke into a run. The front ranks locked their shields together and you could see the panic and fear in their eyes.

Jason drew his sword and twirled it around, his face stern wth focus. I made a silent prayer that if my Dad were to protect anyone that it would be him.

"Steady!" Travis ordered his arm still in the air.

They were close now very close. I imagined that those on the front lines could feel the hot breath of the wolves. Travis let his hand drop.

"Fire!"