It has been one year since Gaea was defeated, one peaceful year. However, Camp Half-Blood is changing, and Percy doesn't know why. With Annabeth and the rest of the camp growing distant, Percy feels all alone. Especially since Leo is still missing...
Hannah brought it up for a closer look. "Guess there really was a silver lining this time," Jacob teased from behind her. Everyone froze and looked at him.
"Please tell me that did not just come out of your mouth," Thalia groaned.
"I don't know, I thought it was funny," Percy laughed.
A few moments of awkward silence passed before Jacob broke it again. "So, got anything for this?" he asked Elizabeth, gesturing towards where his eye used to be.
"Yes, actually," she replied, making his face light up. It dropped again once she just pulled out an eyepatch. "I'm sorry," she replied. "I tried to make an eye, but it's just too complex."
"It's fine," Jacob said sadly as he took it from her. "I appreciate the effort. Just wishful thinking on my part."
Percy decided to try and lighten the mood. "Hey, doc," he said to Gracey. "Do you think that they could go outside now?"
She thought for a moment. "I don't see why not," she replied. "Hannah has her prosthetic now, and the scratches on his face are closed up enough that we can take the bandages off now."
Moving over to Jacob she removed his bandages, rinsing his socket and cuts with water and nectar. His face looked a lot better, the scratches weren't nearly as inflamed now. They were still a bright red, but that was to be expected. After Jacob had put on his patch to protect his socket, Percy and Thalia helped the injured demigods out into the midday sun. As they stood there adjusting to the brightness, a huge shadowed swooped overhead. Everyone looked up, and saw a giant eagle circling the camp.
# # #
It had been three days since Leo, Calypso, Hazel, and Frank had left Camp Jupiter. They had scoured likely routes from where Jacob and Hannah would have used to head west after Leo had dropped them off. So far, there had been no sign of them. Leo was hopeful though, as they had been flying he had been able to upgrade Festus' sensors. They were flying above a road in Pennsylvania when Festus started creaking and whirring his teeth.
"What is it?" Calypso called from behind Leo.
"Festus said that there are traces of blood and monster dust in those woods over there. It's faint and dispersing, but it's there."
"We should head down there!" Hazel called from behind Calypso.
"Already on it!" Leo replied as Festus started downward.
"I'll scout ahead, see what I can find," Frank said as he jumped off of Festus and turned into a giant eagle. He dove downward and skimmed across the tops of the trees, head on a constant swivel.
Festus zoned in on a break in the trees, but it was too small for him to land in. "This is the source, but Festus can't land," Leo said.
"How do we get down then," Hazel pondered.
"Watch and learn little lady!" Leo grinned before pressing a button on the panel at the base of Festus' head. A hatch popped open on both of his shoulders, a rope uncoiling and dropping to the ground below. "Green light, go, go, go!" Leo shouted before jumping on a rope and sliding down.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Calypso said once she was on the ground next to him.
"You know you like me," Leo grinned as he nudged her shoulder with his own.
"Zeus knows why," Calypso grumbled as she took in the scene around them. A little to their left were two bloodstains, fine golden dust surrounding them. Most of the dust looked like it had already dispersed, but there was still enough to know that a lot of monsters had died in this clearing. Footsteps also covered the clearing, showing that a lot of people had been here at one point.
"Oh good, you're here," Frank said as he landed in the clearing and reverted back to himself. "I found something that you might be interested in." They all looked at him expectantly. "I was flying, andI found another clearing in that direction," Frank pointed. "There was a camp set up there, and it looked big enough for at least two dozen people."
"Then let's go!" Leo exclaimed. "Festus can follow us from the air."
Frank led them in the direction he had seen the camp, and they arrived there in less than five minutes. As they got closer the group noticed wolves shadowing them in the trees.
"We're being watched," Hazel whispered.
"Wow, really?" Leo replied sarcastically. "I couldn't tell."
"That's far enough!" a girl in silver ordered as she dropped down from a tree in front of the group, a bow drawn and pointed at them. More soft thuds sounded, and the group found that they were surrounded by five more similarly dressed girls.
"The Hunters," Frank breathed.
"Silence boy!" the lead hunter spat.
Knowing the reputation of the Hunters, Hazel stepped forward. "We're sorry to disturb you, we were just looking for two of our friends," she explained.
"They are not here Roman, now leave."
"Please, you must have seen them," Hazel begged. "We think they're hurt and-"
"I said they Are. Not. Here," the lead Hunter interrupted. "Now leave before we are forced to kill you."
Hazel went to say something again before Calypso stopped her. "We apologize for the misunderstanding. We shall be going now," she said before starting to herd the others back towards the way they had come.
They had barely gone a step before a new voice spoke, this one male. "Harassing my friends, Ata?" it teased.
All four whirled around, they knew that voice. "Percy!" Leo exclaimed.
A/N: So, Festus the attack helicopter anyone? Also, my apologies for the horrible pun, I couldn't help it. I know this chapter was shorter, and more filler, but I didn't really have a whole lot of time today. My copy of the book The Man in The High Castle arrived, so I was reading that and drawing the picture that you can see below.
Also, I would like Y'All to meet Jacob Firth, Son of Apollo and Hannah Andle, Daughter of Hecate.
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Not the best drawing ever, I know, but this is how I imagine them looking.
