BETRAYALS
She closed her eyes. Ariana didn't think she'd get used to the sick feeling after the transportation. Once she was sure she wouldn't throw up she opened her eyes.
Stood in her bedroom, she was unsure of what to do and so headed towards the dinning room. Sure enough, her father was there, seemingly waiting for her.
"Well done Ariana." In his hand, he held his helm of darkness. "Take a seat."
She did. "Poseidon said to ask you about my mother."
Hades eyes turned dark. "Did he now."
"Yeah. That is what I just said."
He sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his emotion was gone. "Any topic involving your mother is banned especially in front of my wife."
"Right." Ariana said. "How did I get to Camp Half-Blood."
"A satyr." Hades shrugged. "I didn't order them to get you. Had I been notified of your mothers death sooner, I would had you placed in the Lotus Casino."
Ariana cringed.
"Part of me hoped you would've stayed there." He continued.
"Why?"
He shrugged. "It would've been safer for you."
"Ah. Why am I here?"
"I wanted to speak to my daughter. To congratulate you on your quest. You can go back to Camp now if you wish although I doubt you'll be welcomed with your own cabin."
She shrugged. "Chiron won't even know I'm your daughter. Annabeth would've left it for me to tell him."
Hades lifted his hands.
"Please don't do that clicky transportation thing, I think I'll be sick if I have to go through that again."
Hades smiled. "Then shadow travel to camp."
"What?" She asked.
"My children can shadow travel. If you think of the place you want to travel to, hard enough that is, and if you let the shadows in you'll be transported there."
"That's pretty cool." The girl admitted.
"Of course there's other powers you may possess but I'm sure you'll figure them out."
Then Ariana remembered their deal. "What about my hellhound I was promised."
Hades sighed. "I wished you forgot about that."
"What! Please! I really want one now." She begged.
"Fine." Hades concluded. "I'll see to it one appears before you at Camp."
"Great."
"Now go, child. I'm sure we'll see each other again." He said, standing up. "Oh, and." He looked at her. "If any campers give you any issues feel free to come back here or you know give them a good punch."
Ariana smirked. "I would've done it anyway."
"Goodbye, Ariana." Then he left the dining room.
Ariana focused hard. She imagined the big house. After a few moments she felt the shadows come over her, engulfing her. She allowed them.
Then she felt her body moving.
"Ariana!" Luke said, shocked. "How did you?"
She looked around, sure enough she was in the big house.
"Hey Luke." Then, she fainted.
When she woke up, Ariana was in a bed. She groaned.
"Hey Ari." She turned her head to face the voice. It was Will Solace, one of the Apollo Campers. He often helped out in the first aid.
"Hey Will. What happened?"
"You fainted. Most likely from dehydration and exhaustion. Luke brought you in." The boy, just younger than her, told her.
"Gosh."
"I think Chiron wants to speak to you as well but you should rest first."
"I'm fine." Arianna stood up. She wasn't fine, she still felt tired but she needed to see her friends and make sure they were alright.
"Well. At least come back later?"
"I promise."
They were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated them as if they'd won some reality TV contest.
According to camp tradition, they wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honour, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where they got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.
Annabeth's shroud was so Athena -grey silk with embroidered owls - Percy told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched him and told him to shut up.
Being the son of Poseidon, Percy didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border. In the middle it had big writing saying, 'LOSER'
Ariana's shroud was produce by the Hermès cabin in her absence. They used black silk and dotted it in stars.
They were fun to burn.
As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out toasted marshmallows, Ariana was surrounded by cabinmates, Annabeth's friends from Athena and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand new searcher's licence he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders.
The council had called Grover's performance on the quest 'Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past.
The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told Ariana they'd never forgive Percy for disgracing their dad.
Although, Clarisse quickly forgave Ariana for destroying her spear.
That was okay with her.
Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen her spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now hell have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday."
On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions.
They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky.
The finale was supposed to be a couple of thirty-metre-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colours.
By the end of it, Ariana was grinning. She was surrounded by her friends, her found family. She wouldn't of had it any other way.
"Ariana!" Silena gasped, staring at her in utter belief.
Then the whole camp gasped, including Chiron.
"What?"
Silena pointed above her head. Ariana looked up. Floating above her head was a sceptre and horn glowing in black and purple. They spun around and around.
Chiron kneeled, all the over campers followed.
"Ariana Parker." He announced. "Daughter of Hades, god of the dead and king of the underworld."
Ariana was silent. Then when the symbol above her head faded a hellhound jumped onto her.
Chiron immediately raised his bow.
"Hey girl!" Ariana exclaimed, stroking her. Hades had kept his promise.
The girl looked to Chiron, shock was still evident on his face. "Can I keep her?"
"Uh." Chiron said, completely stumped. "Can we talk about this later?"
"Sure!" Ariana gleamed, continuing to stroke the dog.
Ariana spent her birthday, July 21 with her friends. They spent the whole day joking around and eating all sorts of sweets she had received as a present.
As Annabeth, Percy, Ariana and her new friend were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell them goodbye.
He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and trainers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age.
His goatee had got thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown a few centimetres at least, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.
"I'm off." he said. "I just came to say... well, you know."
Ariana was happy for him after all it wasn't often a satyr got his searching license.
Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.Percy asked him where he was going to search first.
"Kind of a secret." he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan.."
"We understand." Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"
"Yeah."
"And you remembered your reed pipes?"
"Jeez, Annabeth." he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat." But he didn't really sound annoyed.
He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway.
"Well." he said, "wish me luck."
He gave Arianna and Annabeth another hug. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.
Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.
"Hey, Grover." Percy called.
He turned at the edge of the woods.
"Wherever you're going - I hope they make good enchiladas."
Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.
"We'll see him again." Ariana said.
July passed.
She spent her days training and spending time with her new friend, which Chiron allowed her to keep as long as she didn't use her to scare the other campers.
Ariana doubted she'd have to worry about the other campers anymore. Now, when most of them looked at her they'd run in the opposite direction.
Since Hades didn't have a cabin she had to stay in the Hermès cabin although Percy promised to try and get his father to allow her in cabin three.
She was grateful yet she doubted he'd allow it.
The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.
The campers had one last meal together. They burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counsellors awarded the end-of-summer beads.
When she saw the bead for the summer, she was glad the firelight covered her blushing. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering on one side and on the other a Cerberus.
"The choice was unanimous." Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first son of the Sea God and first daughter of the Underworld God at this camp, and the quest they undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"
The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.
Ariana felt sad knowing in the morning most of them would be leaving for the year and would only return in the summer.
The next morning she decided to take a walk. The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat.
All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection.
Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.
She got to the sword-fighters' arena and found that Luke and Percy had had the same idea.
His gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. Luke was working solo, whacking away at battle dummies with a sword she'd never seen before.
It must've been a regular steel blade, because he was slashing the dummies' heads right off, stabbing through their straw-stuffed guts.
His orange counsellor's shirt was dripping with sweat. His expression was so intense, his life might've really been in danger.
Ariana watched, fascinated, as he disembowelled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armour.
They were only dummies, but she still couldn't help being awed by Luke's skill.
The guy was an incredible fighter. It made her wonder, again, how he possibly could've failed at his quest.
Finally, he saw them, and stopped mid-swing.
"Percy, Ari."
"Um, sorry." Percy said, embarrassed. "I just."
"Its okay." he said, lowering his sword. "Just doing some last-minute practice."
"Those dummies won't be bothering anybody any more."
Luke shrugged. "We build new ones every summer."
Now that his sword wasn't swirling around, Ariana could see something odd about it. The blade was two different types of metal - one edge bronze, the other steel.
Luke noticed them looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."
"Backbiter?"
Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."
"I didn't know they could make weapons like that."
"They probably can't." Luke agreed. "It's one of a kind!"
He gave them a tiny smile, then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?"
"You think it's a good idea?" He asked. "I
mean -"
"Aw, come on."He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six-pack of Cokes. "Drinks are on me!"
Percy stared at the Cokes, wondering where the heck he'd got them. There were no regular mortal sodas at the camp store.
"Sure." Ariana decided.
"Why not?" Percy said.
They walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot.
All the monsters with any sense must've been taking siestas in their nice cool caves.
They found a shady spot by the creek where Ariana broken Clarisse's spear. They sat on a big rock, drank their Cokes and watched the sunlight in the woods.
After a while Luke said, "You miss being on a quest?"
"With monsters attacking me every metre? Are you kidding?" Ariana said.
Luke raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I miss it." Percy admitted. "You?"
A shadow passed over his face.
Ariana was used to hearing from the girls how good-looking Luke was, but at the moment, he looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome.
His blond hair was grey in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual. She could imagine him as an old man.
"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen." he told Percy. "Ever since Thalia... well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life."
He crumpled his Coke can and threw it into the creek, which really shocked her.
One of the first things you learn at Camp Half-Blood is: don't litter. You'll hear from the nymphs and the naiads. They'll get even. You'll crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.
"The heck with laurel wreaths." Luke said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."
"You make it sound like you're leaving."
Luke gave them a twisted smile. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you both down here to say goodbye."
He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at their feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of her hand. A scorpion.
Percy started to go for his pen.
"I wouldn't." Luke cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to five metres. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."
"Luke, what.." Ariana said. She was extremely confused.
"You." Percy said.
He stood calmly and brushed off his jeans. The scorpion paid him no attention. It kept its beady black eyes on them, clamping its pincers as it crawled onto Percy's shoe.
"I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy." Luke said. "Didn't you feel it - the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics - being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."
Ariana couldn't believe this was happening. She didn't know what to do.
"Luke... you're talking about our parents." Percy said.
He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious "Western civilization" is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."
"You're as crazy as Ares."
His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."
The scorpion crawled onto his trouser leg.
There had to be a way out of this. She needed time to think.
"Kronos." Ariana said. "That's who you serve."
The air got colder.
"You should be careful with names." Luke warned.
"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helmet. He spoke to you in your dreams."
Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."
"He's brainwashing you, Luke."
"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."
"That's not an easy quest." Ariana said. "Hercules did it."
"Exactly." Luke said. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this-" he pointed angrily at his scar - "and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, Isneaked into the throne room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades's helmet of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."
The scorpion was sitting on his knee now, staring at him with its glittering eyes.
She tried to keep her voice level. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"
Luke's smile wavered. "I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt - Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterwards, the Lord of the Titans... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helmet the rest of the way - from Ares down to Tartarus."
"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest?" Percy exclaimed.
"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."
"The flying shoes were cursed." Ariana said.
"They were supposed to drag Percy and the backpack into Tartarus."
"And they would have, if he had been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse."
Luke looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on his thigh. You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."
"Thalia gave her life to save you." Ariana said, gritting her teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"
"Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."
"You're being used, Luke. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."
"I've been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill.
"Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest - the ones who serve him."
"Call off the bug." Ariana said, she was angry. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself."
Luke smiled. "Nice try, Ariana. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."
"Luke -"
"Goodbye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."
He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.
The scorpion lunged.
Percy swatted it away with his hand and uncapped his sword. The thing jumped at him and he cut it in half in midair.
Ariana was about to congratulate him until I she looked down at his hand. his palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The thing had got him after all.
Percy stumbled to the creek and submerged his hand, but nothing seemed to happen. The poison was too strong.
Sixty seconds, Luke had told them.
"Come on Percy." Ariana said practically dragging him across the floor. She had to get him to camp.
She managed to drag him all the way to Camp.
"Help!" She screamed. Chiron came right away. One look at Percy and together they dragged him to the sickroom.
Ariana sat by his side until he woke up.
He was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, his right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner.
Annabeth and Ariana sat next to him , holding his nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on his forehead.
"Here we are again." He said.
"You idiot." Annabeth said. "You were green and turning grey when Ari dragged you here. If it weren't for Chiron's healing.."
"Now, now."Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."
He was sitting near the foot of his bed in human form, which was why Percy hadn't noticed him yet.
His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie.
He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."
"Considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."
Percy looked at Ariana. "Have you not told them?"
She shook her head but she didn't speak. Ariana didn't know how to say it, her emotions were all over the place.
Between sips of nectar, he told them the story.
The room was quiet for a long time.
"I can't believe that Luke..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him... He was never the same after his quest."
"This must be reported to Olympus." Chiron murmured. "I will go at once!"
"Luke is out there right now." Percy said. "I have to go after him."
Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods"
"Won't even talk about Kronos." Ariana snapped.
"Zeus declared the matter closed!"
"Percy, Arianna, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."
Ariana didn't like it, but part of her suspected Chiron was right. One look at Percy's hand, and she knew he wasn't going to be sword fighting any time soon.
"Chiron... your prophecy from the Oracle... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Who's in it?"
Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling.
"Percy, it isn't my place -"
"You've been ordered not to talk about it, haven't you?" Ariana asked.
His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..." he told her.
Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.
"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!"
He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Ariana. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."
'"We can't just sit back and do nothing." Percy said.
"We will not sit back."Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unravelled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."
"Assuming we live that long." Ariana mumbled
Chiron put his hand on her shoulder. "You'll have to trust me, Ari. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice.."
She got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise her.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."
He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear... whenever you're ready, they're here."
"Who's here?" Percy asked.
Nobody answered.
Chiron rolled himself out of the room. She heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.
Annabeth studied the ice in his drink.
"What's wrong?" Percy asked her.
"Nothing." She set the glass on the table.
"I just took your advice about something. You... um... need anything?'"
"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."
"Percy, that isn't a good idea."
Hw slid his legs out of bed. Annabeth caught him before he could crumple to the floor.
Annabeth said, " I told you.."
"I'm fine." He insisted.
He managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Annabeth. Argus followed them outside, but he kept his distance.
By the time they reached the porch, his face was beaded with sweat. But he had managed to make it all the way to the railing.
It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake.
Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.
"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked him.
"I don't know."
Percy told them he got the feeling Chiron wanted him to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but he wasn't sure that's what he wanted.
He admitted he would feel bad about leaving her and Ariana alone, though, with only Clarisse for company..
Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."
He stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"
She pointed towards the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted - two little children, a woman and a tall man with blond hair.
They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had got from Waterland in Denver.
"I wrote him a letter when we got back." Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided we'd give it another try."
"That took guts?"
She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least... not without sending me an iris-message?"
He managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."
"When I get back next summer." she said, "We will hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?'"
"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."
She held out her hand. He shook it.
"Take care, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth told him. "You too Ariana. Keep your eyes open."
"Will do." Ariana promised.
"You too, Wise Girl!"
They watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time.
She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be led over the crest and into the mortal world.
"I'll be okay for the year." Ariana said to him. "Go back home. I think I'm going to spend the year practicing my powers anyway. My father said I had more to discover then just shadow travelling."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Good luck seaweed brain."
"I'll see you next summer." He promised.
She smiled. "Looking forward to it."
He asked Argus to take me down to cabin three, so he could pack his bags for home.