The Betrayed Prince |Percy Jackson Fanfic|

Chapter 18: The Breakfast Encounter

Chapter 18

The Breakfast Encounter

||Grover Underwood||

I frowned.

Something's different. I adjusted my backpack and headed to my very own cabin. I dropped all my stuff off and headed to some part of the woods where my girlfriend is, following her scent all the while trying to detect what's wrong with the camp. It's quiet and filled with tension.

The sun is barely reaching it's peak as it's quite early in the morning. Usually, everyone is bustling with movement at this time of day, at about 8 am but there's none. I kept walking, the sound of my hooves loud in the grassy soil of Camp-Half Blood despite the buzzing noises of early animals.

I called Juniper's name once and I found her pacing in front of her tree. She turned to me, relieved and impatient and worried. "Gods! Took you long enough, Grover."

"What?" I asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

She grabbed my hand, the color of her skin contrasting with mine, and pulled me with her. The waves of her reddish-orange hair bouncing. "Come on! Something happened last night and something is happening in the Mess Hall that you have to see. Everyone's already lurking, curious what it is."

"Well, I didn't expect this kind of homecoming." I retorted.

She just gave me a look, "Trust me, no one expected this."

In no time, we were close enough to the Mess Hall and still be hidden in the woods. I saw some of the nymphs peaking out, staring at one direction.

 Finally, I looked at what the fuss is about when suddenly everything had stopped and my blood ran cold as I saw the figures all sitting down on a table I've never seen in my life.

They sat casually but firm and proper at the same time, casually eating their foods as they talk to themselves totally ignoring the entire camp's whispering gossip, emitting intimidating powerful aura I've never felt before. 

I took a sharp intake of breath as I looked at Percy who was leaning back in his chair at the top of the table, drinking only. He didn't talk, he just sat there and listened to the talk around him, eyes bouncing from one camper to another. No warmth, no mischief, no lopsided grin that I've become so fond of. He has such a big aura around him that even staring at him sent fear coiling down my stomach. Everything about him screamed untouchable.

Nico sat on his right side who, like Percy, wore an unreadable mask.

They all wore that.

"Juniper......" I whispered, "What is happening?" I gripped her hand tight. I'm glad. Real glad that they're all alive and that Percy and Nico are back but their return must mean something....

"I heard the other nymphs saying that they would help us in the upcoming war."

"They're the Army of Chaos?"

I kept watching them from the tree, crushing the temptation to walk over there and hug the living beans out of my missing best friend. When all of a sudden, all chatter had ceased and all attention had been directed to the Poseidon's table and up stood the demigod that started everything years ago.

The Army table didn't even look at him. Timothy Leon seeing the lack of effect strode up to the table and stood a few feet away from Percy's chair at his side. Percy raised his eyebrows and turned his head, bored.