I 023. I

𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒆

❝ exchange ❞

"JASON!"

Piper kept calling his name as she held him. He'd been unconscious for two minutes. His body was steaming, his eyes rolled back in his head. They county tell if he was even breathing.

"It's no use, child." Hera stood over them in her simple black robes and shawl.

Every vestige of winter was gone from the valley. No signs of battle, either. The monsters had been vaporized. The ruins had been restored to what they were before—still ruins, but with no evidence that they'd been overrun by a horde of wolves, storm spirits, and six armed ogres.

Even the Hunters had been revived. Most waited at a respectful distance in the meadow, but Thalia knelt by a Piper's side, her hand on Jason's forehead.

Thalia glared up at  the goddess. "This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen—"

"Fix him!"

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before o revealed my true form."

"Um..." Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"We didn't need it," Ariadne said. "I had it under control. But you know mortals can't look upon you in that form! You've killed him!"

Leo shook his head in dismay. "That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleash, through Hera's rage. Come on, lady. You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on him! Bring him back."

"He's breathing!" Piper announced.

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal had ever—"

"Jason," Piper called, putting every bit of her willpower into his name. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine."

Nothing happened.

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite," Hera said regretfully. "Even I cannot fix this, girl. His mortal spirit—"

"Jason," Piper said again, and she imagined her voice resonating through the earth, all the way down to the Underworld. "Wake up."

He gasped, and his eyes flew open. For a moment they were full of light—glowing pure gold. Then the light faded and his eyes were normal again. "What—what happened?"

"Impossible!" Hera said.

Piper wrapped him in a hug until he groaned, "Crushing me."

"Sorry, she said, so relieved, she laughed while wiping a tear from her eye.

Thalia gripped her brother's hand. "How do you feel?"

"Hot," he muttered. "Mouth is dry. And I saw something...really terrible."

"Alright, I'm glad you're back, Jason." Ariadne stood straighter, determination in her eyes. "Now, everyone who is able to walk and see properly needs to help me search his entire place for any sign of Percy."

Hera stared down at her. "Phoenix—"

She cut her off by running in the direction of the house. Leo and Thalia followed, while Piper helped Jason stand up straight. The goddess only huffed.

Ariadne had nearly destroyed everything in the Wolf House, turning the entire place upside down from too to bottom, but no sign of him.

"He's not here," she murmured. The girl stood on a burnt rug in the house. "He's not here."

Her eyes blazed at Hera. "Where the hell is he?"

The goddess glared. "This is for the hood of the world—"

"Screw the world! I want my boyfriend back, bitch!"

She was about to strangle the goddess before Piper stepped in. Ariadne was pulled away by Thalia, despite both of them wanting to hurt her and administer maximum pain.

"Now..." Piper faced Ariadne, Thalia, and Hera. "Hera—Your Majesty—we couldn't have rescued you without the Hunters. And Thalia, you never would've seen Jason again—I—wouldn't have met him—if it weren't for Hera. You two make nice, because we've got bigger problems."

They both glared at her, and for three long seconds, Piper wasn't sure which one of them was going to kill her first.

Finally Thalia grunted. "You've got spirit, Piper." She pulled a silver card from her parka and tucked it into the pocket of Piper's snowboarding jacket. "You ever want to be a Hunter, call me. We could use you."

Hera crossed her arms. "Fortunately for this Hunter, you have a point, daughter of Aphrodite." She assessed Piper, as if seeing her clearly for the first time. "You wondered, Piper, why I chose you for this quest, why I didn't reveal your secret in the beginning, even when I knew Enceladus was using you. I must admit, until this moment I was not sure. Something told me you would be vital to the quest. Now I see I was right. You're even stronger than I realized. And you are correct about the dangers to come. We must work together."

"Yeah," Jason said, "I don't supposed that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?"

"No," Hera agreed. "By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You have bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he had not yet regained his full powers. Giants can only be killed by a combination of fog and demigod, working together. Once you freed me—"

"He ran away," Jason said. "But where?"

Hera didn't answer. But there was a sense of dread.

"I need to find Annabeth," Thalia said. "She has to know what's happened here."

Ariadne nodded. "If you get there first, tell her. But I'll make sure to fill her in on everything."

"Thalia..." Jason gripped her hand. "We never got to talk about this place, or—"

"I know." Her expression softened. "I lost you here once. I don't want to leave you again. But we'll meet son. I'll rendezvous with you back at Camp Half-Blood." She glanced at Hera. "You'll see them there safely? It's the least you can do."

"It's not your place to tell me—"

"Queen Hera," Piper interceded.

The goddess sighed. "Fine. Yes. Just off with you, Hunter!"

Thalia gave Jason and Ariadne a hug and said her goodbyes. When the Hunters were gone, the courtyard seemed strangely quiet. The dry reflecting pool showed no sign of the earthen tendrils that had brought back the giant king or imprisoned Hera. The night sky was clear and starry. The wind rustled in the redwoods.

"Jason, what happened to you here?" Piper asked. "I mean—I know your mom abandoned you here. But you said it was sacred for demigods. Why? What happened after you were on your own?"

Jason shook his head uneasily. "It's still murky. The wolves..."

"You were given a destiny," Hera said. "You were given into my service."

Jason scowled. "Because you forced my mom to do that. You couldn't stand knowing Zeus had two children with my mom. Knowing that he'd fallen for her twice. I was the price you demanded for leaving the rest of my family alone."

"It was the right choice for you as well, Jason," Hera insisted. "The second time you mother managed to share Zeus's affections, it was because she imagined him in a different aspect—the aspect of Jupiter. Never before had this happened—two children, Greek and Roman, born into the same family. You had to be separated from Thalia. This is where all demigods of your kind start their journey."

"Of his kind?" Piper asked.

She means Roman," Jason said. "Demigods are left here. We meet the she-wolf goddess, Lupa, the same immortal wolf that raised Romulus and Remus."

Hera nodded. "And if you are strong enough, you live."

"But..." Leo looked mystified. "What happened after that? I mean, Jason never made it to camp."

"Not to Camp Half-Blood, no," Hera agreed.

Piper looked dizzy. "You meant somewhere else. That's where you've been all these years. Somewhere else for demigods—but where?"

Jason turned to the goddess. "The memories are coming back, but not the location. You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No," Hera said. "That is part of your destiny, Jason. You must find your own way back. But when you do...you will unite two great powers. You will give us hope against the giant, and more importantly—against Gaea herself."

"You want us to help you," Jason said, "but you're golfing back information."

"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid," Hera said. "That is the way of Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you three have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible..."

The goddess shook her head. "Suffice to say, you have performed well, demigods. But this is only the beginning. How you must return to Camp Half-Blood, where you will begin planning for the next phase."

"Which you won't tell us about," Jason grumped. "And I suppose you destroyed my nice storm spirit horse, so we'll have to walk home?"

Hera waved aside the question. "Storm spirits are creatures of chaos. I did not destroy that one, thought I have no idea where we went, or whether you'll see him again. But there is an easier way home for you. As you have done me a great service, so I can help you—at least this once. Farewell, demigods, for now."

Ariadne pointed at the goddess. "Watch you back. The second you make the wrong move, I'll make sure I'm the one who spills your blood all over Olympus."

The world turned upside down.

When Ariadne could see straight again, she was back at camp, in the dining pavilion, in the middle of dinner. They were standing on the Aphrodite cabin's table, and Ariadne had knocked her foot into Drew's drink, spilling it into her lap. Sixty campers rose at once, gawking at them in astonishment.

Whatever Hera had done to shoot them across the country, it wasn't good for Leo's stomach. He jumped off the table, ran to the nearest bronze brazier, and threw up in it—which was probably not a great burnt offering for the gods.

"Ariadne? Jason?" Chiron trotted forward. The centaur had seen thousands of years' worth of weird stuff, but even he looked totally flabbergasted. "What—How—?"

The Aphrodite campers stared up at Ariadne with their mouths open. Despite the fact that she was blessed by their mother, her insecurities ran deep, assuming she must've looked awful.

"Hi," she said, as casually as she could. "We're back."

***

IT WAS HARD TO REMEMBER THE REST OF THE NIGHT. The telling of their story was followed by a million questions they had to answer from other campers, but finally Chiron saw how tired they were and ordered them to bed.

Ariadne had been met with an extremely happy Zoe in her cabin. Pollux was asleep up in his loft, which had still not been cleaned out with some of Castor's own belongings. She gave her brother a pat on his head. The sight of Castor's bunk in its messy fashion—the way he had originally left it—pained her.

She left for her part of the cabin. Her back flipped onto the mattress, which was much comfier compared to the hard ground of a sewer.

Percy's sweatshirt she was wrapped in made her homesick for him. The sleeves barely went over her hands, keeping her warm, and smelling like him. It was as if he was there cuddling with her.

The next morning she woke in her bunk, feeling better than she had in a few days. Sunlight came through the windows along with a pleasant breeze. Suddenly, it felt like spring rather than winter. Birds sang. Monsters howled in the woods. Breakfast smells wafted from the dining pavilion—bacon, pancakes, also sorts of wonderful things.

Pollux stood at the edge of her bed with the cats behind him. He smiled down. "Hey, sis."

"Morning." Ariadne say up. She stretched. "I'm glad you could stay longer."

"I wasn't going to miss you getting back here," he said. "But since we're a cabin, I have to walk down with you, so get your ass up."

Ariadne grinned in delight. It was almost like normal times. Almost. The girl stood up, slipping on a pair of socks and her shoes. Pollux threw an arm over her shoulder while steering her out the cabin door.

As they made their way there, they hear spontaneous cheering from the Aphrodite campers. They herded Piper out of the cabin, raised her on their shoulders, and carried her all the way to the dining pavilion—still in her pajamas, her hair still a mess, but she didn't care.

The two Dionysus campers cheered, as the reign of Drew was over.

By afternoon, Ariadne had changed into a pair of jean shorts and a camp t-shirt, but kept Percy's sweatshirt on. Pollux and her went through the cabin's morning activities.

Thought he insisted on sword fighting, her sadness was apparent, and they spent the whole sparring time discussing her decision to use Lunacy as a means of escape and to defeat Enceladus. Ariadne was almost in tears at the thought of not having her beloved sword again.

Pollux gave her a big hug. He ended up tackling her before she laughed at him, the two having to run away from Zoe, Fang, and Leo who were chasing them to play.

Eventually, Ariadne sat in Chiron's office. She admired the room. The only computer at camp was in his office, and the whole room was shielded in bronze playing.

He wasn't there. She just needed some time with herself. Chiron's office had a cluttered, cozy feel. One wall was covered with t-shirts from different conventions—party ponies '09 Vegas, party ponies '10 Honolulu, et cetera. The party ponies must've thrown some crazy meetings judging from the stains, scorch marks, and weapon holes in the t-shirts. On the shelf over Chiron's desk sat an old fashioned boom box with cassette tapes labeled Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra and Greatest Hits of the 40s.

But most of the offices's wall space was plastered with photos of demigods, like a hall of fame. One of the newer shots showed a teenage guy with dark hair and green eyes, he stood arm in arm with Ariadne. That was taken a few days after they got together. Another showed the picture Will had taken of everyone at camp two years ago. Others were various pictures of Ariadne, Annabeth, and Grover throughout the years, as well as a picture of the Dionysus kids—all three of them. In some of the older photos, she recognized famous people: businessmen, athletes, even some actors that she guessed Piper's dad knew.

There was a paper sat on his desk. Tristan McLean's mysterious return from nowhere had made the front page. His personal assistant Jane had been fired for covering up his disappearance and failing to notify the police. A new staff had been hired and personally begged by Tristan McLeans's 'life coach,' Gleeson Hedge. According to the paper, Mr. McLean claimed to have no memory of the last week, and the media was totally eating up the story. Some thought it was a clever marketing ploy for a movie—maybe McLean was going to play an amnesiac? Some thought he'd been kidnapped by terrorists, or rabid fans, or he'd heroically escaped from random seekers using his incredible King of Sparta fighting skills. Whatever the truth, Tristan McLean was more famous than ever.

Ariadne heard that Piper had talked to her dad. Apparently Coach Hedge wasn't doing that bad of a job, and Mellie had ended up as Tristan's new assistant. At least Hedge and Mellie were happy together.

She decided to leave, incase the centaur returned. Ariadne headed toward the commons area where most were spending their time with the next few hours dedicated to themselves.

A few Apollo campers waved while she passed by, sending volleys of arrows into targets nearby. Athena cabin members were discussing something in a far corner, in the shade of a patch of trees with books spread around them.

One jumped and screamed along with the rest. Connor and Travis Stoll ran over, laughing to themselves before smashing what she assumed must've been a spider.

At the commons area, she found Jason shooting a few hoops with a basketball. He looked sweaty from his small workout, dressed in his orange tank top and shorts. His various scars and bruises from the quest were healing, thanks to the medical attention from Will Solace.

"Hey, Jason," Ariadne greeted the boy.

He gave her a smile, catching the basketball in his hands while panting. "Oh, hey. I didn't see you there."

She smiled. "Didn't know you played."

"Oh, well, I'm not entirely sure where I learned it from. Gonna assume it was wherever I was before."

"Yeah." Ariadne understood his confusion. He was only starting to gain some memories back. "Say, we don't have to talk about this. What about a little on-on-one?"

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Didn't know you played."

She shrugged. "Percy is kind of obsessed with the sport. And, I'm not that bad at it."

"You seem to be great at everything," Jason remarked, watching as she tossed her sweatshirt and shirt onto the bench besides his water bottle. She was wearing a pair of shorts and her sports bra now, tying her hair up into a ponytail.

A laugh left her lips. "Well, I guess you could say I'm athletic." She gave him a grin. "Now, are you ready to lose, Grace?"

"You're on, Phoenix."

The two played a few rounds of the game. They laughed, but were mostly concentrated on the game at hand. Ariadne had scored the most, leaving him to win only once. It was odd compared to how she played with Percy.

Percy was usually rough. Jason was gentle with her. Percy would wear only shorts, and would mess with his hair in the middle of dribbling. Jason wore a tank top and never moved any strands from his face. Percy's sea-green eyes would glisten with mischief, alight with amusement from teasing her every time she tried to score, to throw her off her game. Jason would cheer her on, his sky-blue eyes dancing with clouds and sweet enjoyment of a moment with his friend.

Percy would've picked her up at the end and kissed her every time she won, and bragged anytime he did. Jason gave her a pat on the back, and only smiled bashfully at his victory.

She guessed that was the difference between Greeks and Romans. Percy had this ruggedness about him. He had sharp movements, impulsive instincts, and sarcastic comments forming his very reputation. Jason was regality personified. He was made of contemplated attacks, planned out thoughts, and a boasting aura which presented himself as a leader.

That was why Hera had exchanged them to the two different camps. Jason needed to learn to not be planned, to be impulsive, that not everything could be ordered around like the Roman Legions believed. Percy was being sent to learn a tactical advantage, how sometimes, planned attacks were a logistical advantage against enemies.

Greeks and Romans were to learn from each other's victories, and their mistakes.

By the time they had played ten rounds, Jason was sweating and panting madly. Ariadne was sweating, but not as much, used to the heat and the workout.

He eventually jogged over to the bench to relax, tossing the basketball to Ariadne. Piper joined him, watching Ariadne dribble ball back and forth on one side of the court, the younger girl eyeing the older's muscles which flexed when she went to shoot.

"Hey," Jason said. "How did it go?"

It took her a second to focus on his questions. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. Fine."

Sat sat next to him and they watched the other campers going back and forth. A couple of Demeter girls were playing tricks on two of the Apollo guys—making grass grow around their ankles as they shot baskets. Over at the camp store, the Hermes kids were putting up a sign that read: flying shoes, slightly used, 50% off today! Ares kids were lining their cabin with freshly barbed wire. The Hypnos cabin was snoring away. New campers gawked at Ariadne. A normal day at camp.

Meanwhile, the Aphrodite kids were watching Piper and Jason, and trying to pretend they weren't.

The two talked for a bit longer before Ariadne joined them, panting and tossing Jason the ball. Piper gave the girl a smile.

Jason spin his basketball. "It's not good news," he warned. "My memories aren't good for—for any of us."

"We'll figure it out," Piper promised.

He looked at them hesitantly, like he wanted very much to believe them. "Annabeth and Rachel are coming in for a meeting tonight. I should probably wait until then to explain..."

"Okay." Piper plucked a blade of grass by her foot.

Ariadne sighed, wiping sweat off of her forehead and fixing her ponytail. The grey streak in her hair made her look older, just a tad, but it did nothing to hinder her beauty.

Jason studied Ariadne warily. His forearm tattoo was faint blue in the sunlight. "You're in a good mood. How can you be so sure things will work out?"

"Because you and Percy are going to help lead us," she said simply. "I trust you. That's all that matters."

Jason blinked. Then slowly, he smiled. "Dangerous thing to say."

"I'm a dangerous girl, Grace."

Piper laughed. "That, I believe."

He got up and brushed off his shorts. He offered Piper a hand. "Leo says he's got something to show us out in the woods. You coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it." She took his hand and stood up.

For a moment, they kept holding hands. Jason tilted his head. "We should get going."

"Yep," Piper said. "Just a sec."

She let go of his hand, and took a silver card from her pocket—the one Thalia had given her for the Hunters of Artemis. She dropped it into a nearby eternal fire and watched it burn. Ariadne couldn't help but grin.

Across the green, her cabinmates looking disappointed that they hadn't witnessed a kiss. They started chasing in their bets. Ariadne winked at them, raising their hopes.

"Alright, lovebugs," Ariadne teased.

Piper flushed, but Jason gazed around confused. "Bugs?"

The two girls looked exhausted. Ariadne only shrugged. "Don't worry, I got an oblivious one, too."

"Let's go," a smiling Piper told Jason. "We've got adventures to plan.

***

     LEO LOOKED A BIT JUMPY. When he got to the limestone cliff in the forest, he turned to the ground and smiled nervously. "Here we go."

He willed his hand to catch fire, and set it against the door.

His cabin mates gasped.

"Leo!" Nyssa cried. "You're a fire user!"

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I know."

Jake Mason, who was out of his body cast but still on crutches, said, "Holy Hephaestus. That means—it's so rare that—"

The massive stone door swung open, and everyone's mouth dropped open. Leo's flaming hand seemed insignificant now. Ariadne was amazed at how she didn't tonos it was there

Only Chiron didn't look surprised. The centaur knit his bushy eyebrows and stroked his beard, as if the group was about to walk through a minefield.

That made Leo even more nervous.

"Welcome go Bunker Nine," he said, as confidently as he could. "C'mon in."

The group was silent as they toured the facility. Everything was just as Leo had left it—giant machines, worktable, old maps and schematics. Only one thing changed. Festus' ahead was sitting on the central table, still battered and scorched from his final crash in Omaha.

Leo went over to it, and stroked the dragon's forehead. "I'm sorry, Festus. But I won't forget you."

Jason out a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Hephaestus brought it here for you?"

Leo nodded.

"But you can't repair him," Jason guessed.

"No way," Leo said. "But the head is going to be reused. Festus will be going with us."

Piper came over and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Before Leo could answer, Nyssa cried out. "Guys, look at this!"

She was standing at one of the work tables, flipping through a sketchbook—diagrams for hundreds of different machines and weapons.

"I've never seen anything like these," Nyssa said. "There are more amazing ideas here than in Daedalus's workshop. It would take a century just to prototype them all."

"Daedalus's workshop was a studio apartment in the Labyrinth," Ariadne retired, crossing her arms. "Annabeth would love it in here."

"Who built this place?" Jake Mason said. "And why?"

Chiron stayed silent. There was a wall map. It showed Camp Half-Blood with a line of triremes in the Sound, catapults mounted in the hills around the valley, and spots marked for traps, trenches, and ambush sites.

"It's a wartime command center," Leo said. "The camp was attacked once, wasn't it?"

"In the Titan War?" Piper asked.

Nyssa shook her head. "No. Besides, that map looks really old. The date...does that say 1864?"

They all turned to Chiron.

The centaur's tail swished fretfully. "This camp has been attacked many times," he admitted. "That map is from the last Civil War."

"Civil War..." Piper said. "You mean the American Civil War, like a hundred and fifty years ago?"

"Yes and no," Chiron said. "The two conflicts—mortal and demigod—mirrored each other, as they usually do in Western history. Look at any civil war or revolution from the fall of Rome onward, and it makes a time when demigods also fought one another. But that Civil War was particularly horrible. For American mortals, it is still their bloodiest conflict of all time—worse than their casualties in the two World Wars. For demigods, it was equally devastating. Even back then, this valley was Camp Half-Blood. There was a horrible battle in these woods lasting for days, with terrible losses on both sides."

"Both sides," Leo said. "You mean the camp split apart?"

"No," Jason spoke up. "He means two different groups. Camp Half-Blood was one side in the ear."

Leo asked, "Who was the other?"

Chiron glanced up at the tattered bunker nine banner, as if remembering the day it was raised.

"The answer is dangerous," he warned. "It is something I swore upon the River Styx never to speak of. After the American Civil War, the gods were so horrified by the toll it took on their children, that they swore it would never happen again. The two groups were separated. The gods bent all their will, wove the Mist as tightly as they could, to make sure the enemies never remembered each other, never met on their quests, so that bloodshed could be avoided. This map is from the final dark days of 1864, the last time the two groups fought. We've had several close calls since then. The nineteen sixties were particularly dicey. But we've managed to avoid another Colvin war—at least so far. Just as Leo guessed, this bunker was a command center for Hephaestus cabin. In the last century, it has reopened a few times, usually as a hiding place in times of great unrest. But coming here is dangerous. It stirs old memories, awakens the old feuds. Even when the Titans threatened last year, I didn't not think it worth the risk to use this place."

Leo became guilty. "Hey, look, this place found me. It was meant to happen. It's a good thing."

"I hope you're right," Chiron said.

"I am!" Leo pulled the old drawing out of his pocket and spread it on the table for everyone to see.

"There," he said proudly. "Aeolus returned that to me. I drew it when I was five. That's my destiny."

Nyssa frowned. "Leo, it's a crayon drawing of a boat."

"Look." He pointed at the largest schematic on the bulletin board—the blueprint showing a Greek trireme. Slowly, his cabinmates' eyes widened as they compared the two designs. The number of masts and oars, even the decorations on the shields and sails were exactly same as on Leo's drawings.

"That's impossible," Nyssa said. "That blueprint has to be a century old at least."

"Prophecy—Unclear—Flight," Jake Mason read from the notes on the blueprint. "It's a diagram fro a flying ship. Look, that's the landing gear. And weaponry—Holy Hephaestus: rotating ballista, mounted crossbows, Celestial bronze playing. That thing would be one spankin' hot war machine. Was it ever made?"

"Not yet," Leo said. "Look at the masthead."

There was no doubt—the figure at the front of the sho was the head of a dragon. A very pareció dragon.

"Festus," Piper said. Everyone turned and looked at the dragon's head sitting on the table.

"He's meant to be our masthead," Leo said. "Our good luck charm, our eyes imag sea. I'm supposed to build this ship. I'm gonna call it the Argo II. And guys, I'll need your help."

"The Argo II." Piper smiled. "After Jason's ship."

Jason looked a little uncomfortable, but he nodded. "Leo's right. That ship is just what we need for our journey."

"What journey?" Nyssa said. "You just got back!"

Ariadne inspected the old crayon drawing. "We've got to confront Porphyrion, the giant king. He said he would destroy the gods at their roots."

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Much of Rachel's Great Prophecy is still a mystery to me, but one thing is clear. You four—Ariadne, Jason, Piper, and Leo—are among the eight demigods who must take on that quest. You must confront the giants in their homeland, where they are strongest. You must stop them before they can wake Gaea fully, before they destroy Mount Olympus."

"Um..." Nyssa shifted. "You don't mean Manhattan, do you?"

"No," Leo said. "The original Mount Olympus. We have to sail to Greece."

It took a few minutes for that to settle in. Then the other Hephaestus campers started asking all at once. Who were the other four demigods? How long would it take to build the boat? Why didn't everyone get to go to Greece?"

"Heroes!" Chiron struck his hood on the floor. "All the details are not clear yet, but Leo is correct. He will need your help to build the Argo II. It is perhaps the greatest project Cabin Nine has even undertaken, even greater than the bronze dragon."

"It'll take a year at least," Nyssa guessed. "Do we have that much time?"

"You have six months at most," Chiron said. "You should sail by summer solstice, when the gods' power is strongest. Besides, we evidently cannot trust the wind gods, and the summer winds are the least powerful and easiest to navigate. You dare not sail any later, or you may be too late to stop the giants. You must avoid ground travel, using only air and sea, so this vehicle is perfect. Jason being the son of the sky god..."

His voice trailed off, his eyes finding the daughter of Dionysus. Percy, the son of Poseidon. The boat would aid him, too.

Jake Mason turned to Leo. "Well, one thing's for sure. You are now senior counselor. This is the biggest honor the cabin had ever had. Anyone object?"

Nobody did. All his cabinmates smiled at him.

"It's official, then," Jake said. "You're the man."

For once, Leo was speechless.

"Well," he said at last, "if you guys elect me leader, you must be even crazier than I am. So let's build a spankin' hot war machine!"

Maybe, there was hope for Ariadne.

***

     ARIADNE HAD ALMOST BEEN CRUSHED BY ANNABETH. The blonde had her wrapped up in her arms in a matter of a few seconds, rocking her back and forward while she muttered about safety.

Rachel had given her a big smile, happy that she was okay.

Chiron had summoned the council right after.

Jason, Piper, and Leo were not used to the casualness of it all. Neither was Percy at first, so their looks made her chuckle.

For one thing, it was in the Bug House red room, around a Ping-Pong table, and one of the  satyrs were serving nachos and sodas. Somebody had brought Seymour the leopard head in from the living room and hung him on the wall. Every once in a while, a counselor would toss him a sausage.

Leo and Piper sat next to Jason while he looked around the room—it was their first meeting as senior counselors. She had hers when she turned eight. Clarisse's, leader of the Ares cabin, had her boots on the table, but nobody seemed to care. Clovis from the Hypnos cabin was snoring in the corner while Butch from Iris cabin was seeing how many pencils he could fit in Clovis's nostrils. Travis Stoll from Hermes was holding a lighter under a Ping-Pong ball to see if it would burn, and Will Solace from Apollo was absently wrapping and unwrapping an Ace Bandage around his wrist. The counselor from Hecate cabin, Lou-Ellen, was trying playing 'got-your-nose' with Andrea Star from Demeter—Annabeth's girlfriend—but Andrea was swatting her hand away.

Rachel Dare, the Oracle, sat next to Chiron at the head of the table. She was wearing her Clarion Academy school uniform dress, which seemed a bit odd, but she smiled at Jason.

Annabeth didn't look so relaxed. She wore armor over her camp clothes, with her knife at her side and her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. As soon as Jason walked in, she fixed him with an expectant look, as if she were trying to extract information out of him by sheer willpower.

Ariadne stood next to her brother, Pollux, while he tried whispering some words of comfort, but she looked on edge. It was as if all the counselors in one place meant they could finally discuss Percy and where he could be.

"Let's come to order," Chiron said. "Lou Ellen, please stop annoying Andrea before you gain a poison ivy rash. Travis, if you'd kindly extinguish the flaming Ling-along ball, and Butch, I think twenty pencils is really too many for any human nostril. Thank you. Now, as you can see, Ariadne, Jason, Piper, and Leo have returned successfully...more or less. Some of you have heard parts of their story, but I will let them fill you in."

Everyone looked to Ariadne. She began the story. The other three chimed in from time to time, filling in the details he forgot.

It only took a few minutes. The silence was heavy, and for so many ADHD demigods to sit still listening for that long, Jason knew the story must have sounded pretty wild. Jason ended with Hera's visit right before the meeting.

"So Here was here," Annabeth said. "Talking to you."

Jason nodded. "Look, I'm not saying I trust her—"

"Good choice," Ariadne said.

"—but she isn't making this up about another group of demigods. That's where I came from."

"Romans." Clarisse's tossed Seymour a sausage. "You expect us to believe there's another camp with demigods, but they follow the Roman forms of the gods. And we've never ever heard of them."

Piper sat forward. "The gods have kept the two groups apart, because every time they see each other, they try to kill each other."

"I can respect that," Clarisse said. "Still, why haven't we ever run across each other on quests?"

"Oh, yes," Chiron said sadly. "You have, many times. It's always a tragedy, and always the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. The rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, Clarisse. The Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground. The Trojan hero Aeneas escaped, and eventually made his way to Italy, where he founded the race that would someday become Rome. The Romans grew more and more powerful, worshipping the same gods but under different names, and with slightly different personalities."

"More warlike," Jason's aid. "More united. More about explanation, conquest, and discipline."

"Yuck," Travis put in.

Several of the others looked equally uncomfortable, though Clarisse shrugged like it sounds okay to her.

Annabeth twirled her knife on the table. "And the Romans hated the Greeks. They took revenge when they conquered the Greek isles, and made them part of the Roman Empire."

"Not exactly hated them," Jason said. "The Romans admired Greek culture, and were a little jealous. In return, the Greeks thought the Romans were barbarians, but they respected their military power. So during Roman times, demigods started to divide—either Greek or Roman."

"And it's been that way ever since," Ariadne guessed. "But this is crazy. Chiron, where were the Romans during the Titan War? Didn't they want to help?"

Chiron tugged his beard. "They did help, Ariadne. While you, Annabeth, and Percy were leading the battle to save Manhattan, who do you think conquered Mount Sotheby's, the Titans' base in California?"

"Hold on," Travis said. "You said Mount Othrys just crumbled when he beat Kronos."

"No," Jason said. "It didn't just fall. We destroyed their palace. I defeated the Titan Krios myself."

Annabeth's eyes were as stormy as a ventus. Her thoughts were moving quickly. "The Bay Area. We demigods were always told to stay away from it because Mount Othrys was there. But that wasn't the only reason, wasn't it? The Roman camp—it's got to be somewhere near San Fransisco. I bet it was out there ti keep watch on the Titan's territory. Where is it?"

Chiron shifted in his wheelchair. "I cannot say. Honestly, even I have never been trusted with that information. My counterpart, Lupa, is not exactly the sharing type. Jason's memory, too, had been burned away."

"The camp's heavily veiled with magic," Jason said. "And heavily guarded. We could search for years and never find it."

Rachel Dare laced her fingers. Of all the people in the room, only she didn't seem nervous about the conversation. "But you'll try, won't you? You'll build Leo's boat, the Argo II. And before you make for Greece, you'll sail for the Roman camp. You'll need their help to confront the giants."

"Bad plan," Clarisse warned. "If those Romans see a warship coming, they'll assume we're attacking."

"You're probably right," Jason agreed. "But we have to try. I was sent here to learn about Camp Half-Blood, to try to convince you the two camps don't have to be enemies. A leave offering."

"Hmm," Rachel said. "Because Hera convinced we need both camps to win the war with the giants. Eight heroes of Olympus—some Greek, some Roman."

Annabeth nodded. "Your Great Prophecy—what's the line about the doors?"

"And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

"Gaea had opened the Doors of Death," Ariadne said. "She's letting out the worst villains of the Underworld to fight us. Medea, Midas—there'll be more, I'm sure. Maybe the line means that the Roman and Greek demigods will unite, and find the doors, and close them."

"Or it could mean they fight each other at the doors of death," Clarisse pointed out. "It doesn't say we'll cooperate."

There was silence as the campers let that happy thought sink in.

"I'm going," Annabeth said. "Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you."

"I was hoping you'd offer," Jason said. "You of all people—we'll need you."

"Wait." Leo frowned. "I mean that's cool with me and all. But why Annabeth of all people?"

Annabeth and Jason studied one another. The girl knew the dangerous truth, along with Ariadne.

"Hera said my coming here was an exchange of leaders," Jason said. "A way for the two camps to learn of each other's existence."

"Yeah?" Leo said. "So!"

"An exchange goes two ways," Jason said. "When I got here, my memory was wiped. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. Fortunately, you guys took me in and I found a new home. I know you're not my enemy. The Roman camp—they're not so friendly. You prove your worth quickly, or you don't survive. They may not be so nice to him, and if they learn where he comes from, he's going to be in serious trouble."

"Him?" Leo said. "Who are you talking about?"

"My boyfriend," Ariadne said grimly. "He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood—"

"Exactly," Jason agreed. "Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is."

Ariadne glared at her hands. She was going to get him back. She was going to get her boyfriend back.

END OF ACT I

authors note:

I could've made this two chapters but you all deserved a very long one as the finale for this part of the book

Hope you guys are ready

Shits gonna get real

Q: Are you all ready for more Percaidan? What are you looking forward to happen between them
A: Im so ready I've been waiting!

Please tell me what you guys are most excited for and shit

Love you guys!