created →jason grace

four

Jason looked down at the tattoo on his forearm.

"No," he said. "Nothing."

"Do you know where you are?" Chiron asked. "Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?"

"You're Chiron the centaur," Jason said. "The old one from the stories, who used to train Greek heroes like Heracles. This...this is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods."

"So you believe these gods still exist?"

"Yes," Jason said immediately. He then winced as if something had hurt him. "I mean I don't think we should worship them or you know sacrifice people to them. However they are still around, moving from country to country as the center of power shifts."

"I couldn't have said it better." Something had changed in Chiron's voice. "So you already know the gods are real. You have already been claimed, haven't you?"

"Maybe," Jason answered. "I'm not really sure."

Seymour snarled.

Chiron waited, and Jason realized what had just happened. The centaur had switched to another language and Jason had understood, automatically answering in the same tongue.

"Quis erat—" Jason faltered and made a conscious effort to speak english. "What was that?"

Chiron gazed curiously at Jason. "You know Latin. Most demigods recognize a few phrases. It's in their blood, but not as much as Ancient Greek. None can speak Latin fluently without practice."

Jason tried to wrap his head around what the centaur had said. He was still lost in space when he saw Chiron was saying a few things but it was almost as if the world had gone mute while Jason was stuck in his mind.

Finally something clicked and he could hear again. In the corner, the arcade game made a sad pew-pew-pew-pew sound, like Pac-Man had just died.

"...I swore on the River Styx and on all things sacred that I would never ..." Chiron frowned. "But you're here, in violation of the same oath. That too should not be possible. I don't understand. Who would've done such a thing? Who—"

Seymour howled. His mouth froze, half open. The arcade game stopped beeping. The fire stopped crackling.

"Chiron?" Jason asked. "What's going—"

He turned but the old centaur had frozen as well, his mouth open mid-sentence.

Jason, a voice said.

Jason scrambled back before standing. Grabbing the golden coin from his pocket, he flipped it and it changed into a sword.

A dark mist formed into a woman in black robes. Her face was hooded but her eyes glowed in the darkness. Over her shoulder was a goatskin cloak. He didn't know how he knew it was goatskin but it seemed important.

Would you attack your patron? the woman chided. Her voice echoing in Jason's head. Lower your sword.

"Who are you?" Jason demanded. "How did you—"

Our time is limited, Jason. My prison grows stronger by the hour. It took me a full month to gather enough energy to work even the smallest magic through its bonds. I've managed to bring you here, but now I have little time left and even less power. This may be the last time I speak to you.

"You're in prison?" Jason decided maybe he wouldn't lower his sword. "Look, I don't know you and you're not my patron."

You know me, the voice insisted. It was starting to get a little annoying. I have known you since your birth.

"I don't remember. I don't remember anything."

No, you don't, she agreed. That was also necessary. Long ago, your father gave me your life in order to placate my anger. He named you Jason, after my favorite mortal. You belong to me.

"Woah," Jason said, starting to think she might be a tiny bit unstable. "I don't belong to anyone."

Now it is time to pay your debt, she said. Completely ignoring Jason. Find my prison. Free me, or their king will rise from the Earth, and I will be destroyed. You will never retrieve your memory.

"Is that a threat? You took my memories?"

You have until sunset on the solstice, Jason. Four short days. Do not fail me.

The dark woman dissolved leaving Jason with more questions than answers.

Time unfroze. Seymour's howl turned into a cough like he'd just sucked in a hairball. "—would dare to bring you here?" Chiron finally finished his sentence.

"Probably the lady in the mist." Jason offered, shrugging lightly.

Chiron looked up in surprise. "Weren't you just sitting ... why do you have your sword drawn?"

"I hate to tell you this," Jason said. "but I think your leopard just ate a goddess."

He told Chiron what had happened with the frozen-in-time visit and the dark Misty figure.

"Oh dear," Chiron murmured. "That does explain a lot."

"Then why don't you explain a lot to me?" Jason said. "Please."

Before Chiron could say anything, footsteps reverberated on the porch outside. The front door flew open, and Annabeth and another girl, a redhead, burst in, dragging Piper between them. Piper's head lolled like she was unconcious.

"What happened?" Jason rushed over. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin," Annabeth gasped, liked they'd run all the way. "Vision. Bad."

The redhead looked up, and Jason saw that she'd been crying.

"I think ..." The redheaded girl gulped. "I think I may have killed her."

Chiron rolled over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you fret child. Go get Lina. She'll know what to do to help."

The girl gave a nod and ran back out the door as Jason could only stare at Piper's body.