12/14/07, Friday
Westover Hall, Bar Harbor, Maine, 5:00pm
Percy POV
We were sent on 10-person extermination mission to kill monsters in this area.
I lead Annabeth, Thalia, Drew, Piper, Bianca, Nico, Will, Castor & Pollux.
Me, Annabeth, Drew & Piper squished together on Blackjack.
Bianca, Nico & Will shared a ride, as did Thalia with the twins.
I saw a manticore & ripped the so-called Dr. Thorn apart with his blood.
Why was he here? He was Persian.
While there is no secret Persian society, like us, the Egyptians are led by someone obsessed with Persia. They'd be a much better target.
I used a locator spell to feel out the area.
Scythian Dracaena – 200 strong
Hellhounds – 300 strong
Harpies – 70 strong
Manticores – 20 strong
Drakon - 10
The Colchian Dragon – Ally, a servant of Ares
Crommyonian Sow
Clazmonian Sow
The Hunters of Artemis - Ally
I told them what I found.
Drew, annoyed, asked "Can't Iskandar send someone of Persian descent to deal with the manticores? They're not supposed to be our problem."
Annabeth, calmly annoyed, stated "Given the number of monsters in the area is much greater than expected & their locations, this was a trap!"
I agreed with a nod, before continuing "Nothing we can do about it. Let us try to defend the school until the Hunters & Dragon arrive."
We split up & surrounded the school.
Me, Thalia & Bianca kept our Pegasi as we were the best in mounted combat.
Sure enough, a horde approached.
I tore through them with my arrows & javelins, but my stamina was running low.
We each needed to defeat about 60 enemies, or at least hold them off.
I saw the pork chops approaching & killed them with my arrows.
As I was getting tired, I heard mighty roars & hunter horns blow.
The hunters of Artemis, with the Kalydonian Boar, were tearing through them.
From what I could hear, the dragon was doing the same on the opposite end.
Having 2 giant monsters on opposite sides makes sense strategically.
As everything calmed down, I learned that I had killed about 100 enemies, as most of them were going after me, with the rest going after Thalia, Bianca, or Nico.
They sent nearly half their forces after me, while the other 3 only had to deal with a little less than 100 each, as the rest just had to take care of those trying sneak attacks.
Thalia defeated all the enemies sent after her without help, but Nico & Bianca almost died.
We made our way to the hunters' camp to treat our wounds.
I had to be carried off Blackjack, due to how exhausted I was.
Westover Hall, Bar Harbor, Maine, 6:00pm
I woke up in Artemis's personal tent, with the goddess herself whipping me off with a wet cloth.
I moved to sit up. "Thank you."
She looked at me solemnly. "Don't thank me. Annabeth was taken. Monster chatter implies that she's going to be used to free Atlas. Also, they seem to be looking for "The Bane of Olympus" which is probably Typhon."
I debunked this. "My dad informed me that he saw ships looking for Ophiotaurus, but Bessie is currently being kept as Tyson's pet, Bessie."
She looked at me & deadpanned. "It's male."
I responded with "I didn't know that until after I named it."
Artemis is tall and possesses a well-built body. She has shoulder-length raven-black hair and striking silver-grey eyes that can easily intimidate when she is angry. Artemis is extremely beautiful and lovelier than all her attendants.
She had a face of such beauty that it made me catch my breath when I first saw her, cold and bright eyes as silvery yellow as the winter, and auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail.
She pulled me in & spoke with conviction. "I will go to rescue Annabeth on my own. Once your injuries are deemed healed by my brother or Chiron, you will serve as co-lead with Zoe & a team of 10 hunters & 10 campers to provide reinforcements."
I nodded & after we ate, we were all carried on board Apollo's bus, with Pegasi getting a horse trailer.
Zoe sat next to me, Drew & Piper.
She asked, "You know the plan?"
I nodded.
Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York, 7:00 pm
We arrived right as Capture the Flag was about to start.
We were exempt due to injuries & went to bed, as we were mostly healed, but still needed rest.
I noticed my dad had put a fountain I could use for Iris messages in, but I wasn't interested.
I showered & went to sleep.
Dream
I saw Annabeth & Artemis being forced at spear point to take Atlas's burden from Luke.
Luke had gray streaks in his hair.
The ruins of Mt. Othrys made the area look like a cave, with the sky as a roof crushing the 2 girls.
Reality
12/15/07, Saturday
Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York, 8:00am
Apparently, Clarisse couldn't lead the campers to victory, so the score is tied up.
The Strategoi/Boeotarchs were Clarisse, Thalia, Annabeth, Bianca, Nico, Lee Fletcher, Silena, Drew & Piper.
Drew being the Navarch, thus leading the navy, that now represents 10% of our forces.
Like all government offices in New Greece, they serve a decade term, but can't run for a sequential term.
I have been trying to push through laws that would prevent people from holding multiple roles in government, like me being Polemarch, Heliast & Eponymous Archon, due to that leading to kings & we Hellens really hate kings.
Division of power is essential for justice & liberty to thrive, but the people seem to think our government isn't stable enough yet.
Given there's nobody that qualifies as a citizen of New Greece yet, they're kind of right.
You must be at half-blood every summer & have slayed monsters year-round for a decade to become a citizen, like romans must serve a decade to get into new Rome.
After we finished eating, we reported to the Infirmary to get a clean bill of health.
Amphitheater, Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York, 9:30am
We were in our positions.
Me, Bianca & Rachel sat to the left of Mr. D., Aphrodite, Apollo, Orion, Damasen & Chiron.
Drew sat to the right.
The gods & giants stood in the middle, while we had a table.
Drews sat in a chair without a table, but ours had gavels denoting ourselves as the 3 judges.
In front of us, the 7 Strategoi/Boeotarchs sat in chairs without tables.
I tapped my gavel to start the meeting.
Mr. D. spoke "Artemis & our own, Annabeth Chase, are being forced to hold up the sky while Atlas resumes his duties as the Titan General. The Oracles have chosen Perseus Jackson & Atlas's own daughter, Lieutenant Zoe Nightshade, to lead a team of 10 campers & 10 hunters to rescue them."
I spoke "Grover Underwood, Clarisse La Rue, Chris Rodriguez, Thalia Grace, Bianca & Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, Drew Tanaka & Piper McLean." They stood.
I continued "Grover, notify Annabeth's mortal parents. They live near Mt. Othrys." He nodded.
"Thalia, notify your brother. Dealing with Mt. Othrys is Camp Jupiter's responsibility." She nodded.
"Drew, notify Alexander the Great. As the former King of Persia, killing Manticores is his responsibility." She nodded.
"Piper, notify Magnus. We may need reinforcements from the Norse." She nodded.
"Report to the Big House when ready. Dismissed."
Everyone left. The 4 went to notify the people in question & pack their things.
I made my way to the Arts & Crafts center to start my prophecy.
Zoe was not that far behind. "I packed my things in advanced, so did my team." She said.
As the Oracle of Ikaros, she drew her prophecies, too.
I drew an image of people dressed as campers of both camps, hunters, ashigaru (Japanese Mercenaries) & a berserker facing off against a book with a globe on the front, Celts & other ashigaru, with the mountain in the background.
I almost forgot that celts also fought for the highest bidder. Southern flame of Celtic & African, sans Egypt, civilization, & Eastern flame, the flames of bought soldier that have everything so under control that they sell their services to other flames.
She drew 3 huntresses, one with the face in the style of the moon, kissing a man with the face of water.
Drawing with colored pencils gives such detail to our prophecies.
The girls have been talking about recruiting Artemis to the harem.
Surprisingly, it was Annabeth's idea, not Aphrodite.
Calypso also wants her sister, Zoe, to join.
That doesn't explain who the other was.
We made our way to the big house to drop off our things & head to the Oracle Caves & get our prophecies.
We drank from the fountains & stumbled our way into the cave.
As we reached Richard, he looked at the 2 of us before approaching Zoe.
The bees entered her from his beehive.
I carried her out & got her into the throne of memories.
Zoe: "you head for the two missing people now.
In hopes of saving them through unity
The threat is lessened by protected cow.
An enemy changes community.
Due to his son's extreme dark cruelty
Both towards animals and his own kid.
Interference primordiality
Causes a fall into the pit amid
Bringing the ensuing conflict to end.
The Titan lord is revived regardless.
The foolish mortal can at last comprehend
His friend's warning about honorless.
The demigods at last united with
a common enemy to fight forthwith."
After I wrote everything down & she had her head on straight, we headed into Rachel's cave.
Rachel: "Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
The Titan's curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent's hand."
Me: "It's so outdated that I can tell that only half is relevant."
We made our way to the grove.
Grove: "The great solstice conflict just occurs
Irremediable conflict blurs
Great conflict to help save
The divine and the brave.
Judge son of god of Entrepreneurs."
We returned to the Big House to share our prophecies with the others.
I spoke "I believe Iapetus will side with us, due to how Atlas treats animals & Zoe."
Zoe concurred "He always was a loving grandpa & animal lover."
I continued "It also seems Luke will soon outlive his usefulness to grandpa & come crawling back to us for judgement."
Drew asked the big question "How could he revive without the Fleece?"
Mr. D. answered, "Kidnapping Asclepius & gallons of gorgon blood, nectar or Apple juice from the Garden of the Hesperides are the 2 off the top of my head, but there are probably more."
We went to the exit & I used my monopoly car to create a bus with an automaton driving us to the Smithsonian, due to it being near a den the book warned us about.
Please vote on my poll on what story I'm doing next. It's between chapters 1 & 2 of Book 2.
Let me know what you think & please join my discord at https://discord.gg/P7a3YDspn9 .