Walking through the camp, the sound of power tools blearing through the air had caught my undivided attention.
Looking toward Bunker Nine, there was a large tent, like you'd see at a Circus, with the words: 'Keep Out', written all across the tent.
"What're those charcoal brains, up to this time?" I asked myself, but a little too loud it seemed.
"Who knows? They're as secretive as you, Cross," Connor Stoll walked up beside me.
"I'd like to think I'm pretty open about myself, Stoll," I disputed.
"As open as a locked safe, Cross," he argued.
"For some, perhaps," I admitted with a smug grin.
"I'm not getting anything out of you, am I?" he asked disheartenedly.
"Now you're catching on," I patted him on his shoulder.
Walking off, I made my way back toward my cabin, when a sea nymph approached me. They were still dripping wet, so I can only imagine, they've just arrived. Bidding me to follow her, she led me into Cabin Three, where Poseidon, Triton, Amphitrite, and Cymopoleia, awaited me. Seeing me and the nymph enter, Poseidon bid her to leave, before saying anything else. When the door finally closed again, Poseidon rose from his chair and approached me.
"Lord Poseidon and company," I half-bowed to them.
"I thought you said he was as mannerless as they came, Triton," Amphitrite whispered to her son.
"I can hear you, you know," I told her, crossing my arms.
"My statement still stands," she said resolutely.
"Please let's not get off topic," Poseidon bid us.
"And what exactly is, the topic, Poseidon? And what does it have to do with me?" I asked him, slightly irritated, since I'm not one who likes to waste time with pointless banter...on some occassions.
"It's about Percy, and need I really say why, it concerns you?" Poseidon asked me, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow in curiousity.
"Not at all," I assured him. "I imagine, Ms. J, told you about me coming over and asking about Percy,?" I suspected.
"Indeed and how she described Percy the night of said disappearance, has me, concerned," Poseidon admitted as he sat back down in his chair. "For eight months, you ceasely tracked Orion all across the Ancient Lands, I need you, to use those skills of yours, to aid us in finding Percy," he asked of me almost begging.
"I'll do what I can, Poseidon, but even I'm not sure I'll be able to find him," I admitted worriedly. "I mean, you had what was seemingly an unbreakable tether to Percy, and if you aren't able to find him, through such means, then I'm not sure, how I'll be able to find him," I explained.
"At least try to," he begged me.
"I never said I wasn't. He and I made a pact to always look out for one another, I intend to make good on that pact, it's just going to be harder finding him," I clarified. "On top of that, I also have to help Jason, Leo, and Piper, find Hera," I reminded them.
"Is it out of the realm of possibility, that if you find Hera, you'll find Percy, too?" Triton spoke up.
"It's certainly not out of the question, or the realm of possibility," Cymopoleia added. "I, however, have faith in our loyal wolf," she continued rising to her feet and approaching me with a lascivious look in her eyes.
"Hardly the time to be getting personal with Adrian, daughter," Poseidon spoke up sternly, much to my relief, even so she wasn't deterred and placed a kiss on my cheek. "I'll just ignore that, but nevertheless, I thank you for your help, Adrian," he said with a grateful smile.
"I owe this to Percy, more than you realize, Poseidon. I promise you, I will find him, and bring him home," I swore. "But where should I begin my search?" I asked curiously.
"Go north and seek out Boreas, he may be able to point you in the right direction," Poseidon suspected. "But take heed, his daughter Khione, isn't the most hospitable to outsiders," he warned me.
"I'll keep that in mind," I assured him. "But if I can quell the rage of a Storm Goddess, I fancy my chances are higher than most, in dealing with someone like her," I pointed out.
"Do you plan to swoon her with honeyed words laced with silver, demgiod?" Amphitrite asked patronizingly so.
"Indeed, but take heed, Amphitrite, I am the last person, anyone with half a brain or more, would want to make an enemy out of," I warned her with an intense gaze, staring right through her eyes and into her soul.
"Conceal your fangs, Adrian, she is not your foe," Poseidon stoically assured me.
"So it would seem," I agreed, as I have much respect for Poseidon, for at the very least, he is one of the few gods on Olympus, who care for their children. "That being said, I'd be much more at ease knowing Ms. J, was safe. Being the mother of a child of the Big Three, plus the ex-wife of said God of the Big Three, tends to attract the wrong kind of attention," I mentioned.
Poseidon only let out a soft chuckle.
"Fear not, Sally is quite safe," he assured me, but peering over his shoulder, a spiteful scowl could be seen on Amphitrite's face.
'If you, your son, or your agents go anywhere near, Sally Jackson or her boyfriend, to do them harm, I'll hunt you down; and not the armies of Atlantis, your son, or Poseidon, will be able to save you, from me, Amphitrite,' I warned her, telepathically, while wearing a stoic expression upon my face, as to not tip off Poseidon.
'I do not fear you, Son of Artemis, for your bark is worse than your bite,' she rebutted with a smug grin on her face.
'How quickly you have forgotten, that it was I, who slew Oceanus, during the war,' I reminded her, keeping up with the stoic expression, as Poseidon was still in front of us.
'That was sheer luck, and you know it,' she accused me, and she was right, but I won't give her the satisfaction.
'Whether or not, I slew him by luck or skill of arms, I was nevertheless, the one who felled Oceanus, Amphitrite,' I pointed out.
'If you two are quite done arguing, there is still matters that need our attention,' Poseidon interjected.
Of course he was listening.
"Then we best be on our separate ways," I spoke aloud again.
"Indeed," Amphrite added.
As I left the cabin, I saw Cymopoleia give me a quick wink, before we parted ways. With the three of them leaving in relative secrecy, I returned to the training fields where I saw Jason rigorously training, alongside Piper, with Quintus as their mentor. Sitting on the snow covered hillside, I watched in intrigue as they sparred against him. Piper was the first to spot me, as I felt her gaze come upon me, but it proved to be fatal and she was quickly staggered and then disarmed by Quintus. Jason didn't last much longer.
"Never let yourselves become distracted," Quintus reminded them sternly. "But that's enough for now, it's nearly lunch, so go wash up," he instructed them, while he tossed their weapons back to them.
"Not bad, Newbloods, not bad at all," I commended them.
"I can't tell if you're being genuine or sarcastic," Piper groaned in pain as she and the others trudged over.
"A little bit of both really," I admitted, laughing softly.
"Figures," she rolled her eyes, as she repeatedly moved her right shoulder up and down.
"Here, let me," I requested grabbing hold of her right arm and placing the joint fully back into its socket. "There we are, good as new," I assured her with an accomplished smile, just as the horn for lunch blared though the air. "And that's our cue," I reminded them.
"Finally!" they all shouted in relief.
After grabbing our desired food, and sitting at the Cabin 8 table, I filled them in on the lead given to me, by Poseidon, of course, I kept him unnamed as to not cause hysteria amongst the three of them. When I had told them all that I had been told myself, I left the dining pavilion and returned to my cabin.
Looking toward the bunkbed that Zoe used to sleep in, I half expected to see her there, waiting ever so patiently, but she wasn't. Sighing in disappointment, I walked over to my bed and summoned Silverfang, back into my grasp. Peering into the silver steel blade, and gazing upon my reflection, I could hardly recognize myself. Oh well, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later.
"I miss you, sis, more than realize," I spoke softly, as tears trickled down my cheeks falling onto the flat of my blade. "You died, because I was reckless. You died, because of me. Whether or not it was prophesied, it was because of the foolish wolf, that the huntress was slain; that you, were slain," I continued in frustration. "Gods, I'd give almost anything to turn back time," I confessed.
"We both know, you are not at fault, for what happened to Zoë, Adrian. She freely gave her life for yours," Chiron reminded me.
"But it should've been me!" I snapped at him. "It's should've been me, Chiron, not her!" I continued. "Why? Why is it that whenever I try so hard to save those I care about, they just end up dying, because of me, instead!?" I asked him, as tears fell from my eyes liked rain falling from the sky.
"You judge yourself too harshly, Adrian. You cannot controls the threads of fate, it is beyond you, beyond any of us. We are but leaves in the wind, and the winds shall carry us to our place regardless of our desire. Zoë loved you, as you loved her, and to her, you were worth dying for. She knew, you were bound for something greater, so she gave her life for yours," he continued to explain. "Forsake the child, Adrian; long live the man," he insisted placing a hand on my shoulder.
Nodding my head, I wiped my tears away and stood tall, with my head held high. Patting me on my shoulder, there was a proud smile on Chiron's face.
"We all miss her, Adrian, so make sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain," he insisted.
"I promise, to be the man, to become what Zoë saw in me, even if I myself, cannot see it," I swore.
"Good, and in time, who you shall become, shall be made clear," he assured me, as he turned to leave the cabin.
"I hope so," I replied. "I'm not exactly the most patient person, as you know," I jested.
"Indeed," he laughed softly, before he left the cabin.
After he left, I went back over to my bed and pulled a case from beneath it. Placing it on my bed, I opened the case, of which its contents was packed to the brim with old maps and lost annals of history regarding the ancient world. Throwing everything aside in hopes of finding whatever I could about the wind gods of the Greek Pantheon, they were about as allusive as they came. Understandable really, they always seemed to take a backseat in the greater tales of the legendarium. Hearing a knock on my door, I quickly threw everything back into the case, before answering the door. Seeing that it was just Rachel in front of me, I let her in and closed the door behind her.
"So what've you been up to? You're normally going all out on the training field, right about now," she mentioned suspiciously.
"I've been delving into matters concerning the wind gods," I explained briefly.
"Ah, those allusive cluster of gods," she remarked, seemingly exasperated.
"By your tone you make it seem as if you've had dealings with them before," I pointed out.
"Not me, per say, but the Oracle of Delphi has, and given how she's rooming with me, I know everything about her as she knows everything about me, but more than that, I feel her memories," she described.
"Leave the vague riddles to the oracle, Rachel," I suggested jokingkly.
"I'm serious! Whenever I peer into her memories, it's like I'm taken back to the Ancient Times of our ancestors and for that brief moment, I live what she lived," Rachel explained seemingly unaware of how such a thing was capable.
"I see. Rachel, I do not ask this of you lightly, but is there a way you can bring me into one of those memories? Perhaps it holds to the key to not only finding Hera, but Percy too," I suggested optimistically, even by my standards.
"I'll admit, Adrian, this is stretching it, even by your standards, but we owe it to Percy to least try," Rachel agreed albeit, she was more than skeptical, but so was I. "Though, I'm not sure how we'll even be able to pull it off," she told me.
"Yeah, I'm not too sure myself," I admitted, scratching the back of my head in curiosity. "We could alway consult with Hypnos," I suggested, though I was practically grasping at straws at this point.
"That could work," she agreed.
"Well that makes one of us at least," I admitted, though I swear I could seen veins popping out of the side of her forehead in frustration.
"Let's just go talk to Hypnos," she insisted frustratedly, pushing me out of the cabin.
-Time skip-
After making it back onto Olympus, we journeyed to Hypnos' domain to find it...well let's just say it's as you would expect from the god of dreams. As we delved farther in, a great sense of fatigue came upon us as we fell asleep then and there. Waking back up in a cave of sorts, Rachel was no where to be seen. This can't be good.
"Rachel! Rachel where are you!?" I bellowed as loud as I could, hoping she'd hear me, but my calls went unanswered, still I pressed onward, deeper into the cave. "Why does this place feel strangely familiar?" I asked myself in a quiet tone as I glided by hand along the wall of the cave.
No matter how far I delved, the cave remained lit by the golden rays of the sun, but it was also cold and damp. Searching for anything along the floor, ceiling, or walls even, to find any form of clues as to my whereabouts or Rachel's for that matter. I hope she's alright.
Hearing voices come from up ahead, it sounded a lot like shouting the the winds became restless. Why do I get the shaking feeling, that's what I need to head towards? Gods above, I, myself am sometimes baffled by my own sense of adventure. Entering the room, I hid myself behind some of the larger boulders while listening as best as I could, but the winds made that rather difficult to full off.
Doing my best to focus my hearing, I could barely make out anything they were saying. Bah! I'll never figure anything out by hiding and attempting to easedrop. Revealing my self, the wind god calmed the winds as he and the Oracle stared at me in curiosity and intrigue.
"A man bearing the crest of the moon has come, just as the gods fortold," the oracle spoke up.
"You knew I'd be coming?" I asked, but it was stupid of me to do so, since she's the oracle, so of course she'd know I'd be coming.
"Yes. In my dreams a great wolf with silver fur came before me, marred by strife and grief, seeking its pack, and in that dream the moon's light showned down brightest upon the wolf," she described. "And here we are, the wolf has come before the oracle, just as fortold," she declared. "Now, who is it you seek?" she inquired.
"If you're the oracle and you know all, past, present, and future, then you know whom I seek," I rebutted.
"Indeed," she confirmed. "Let your mind be put to ease, for Rachel and I, as in all things pertaining to the prophecy of the gods, are one," the Oralce of Delphi told me. "As for the lost hero, let the winds be your guide, to the Den of Wolves, and there you shall find your answers," she assured me.
"Do you speak metaphorically or literally, in concernment to the Den of Wolves?" I asked her.
"Both," she answered. "Now awaken, there is work to be done, Silver Wolf," the Oracle of Delphi reminded me, her voice resonating in my ears and in a flash I was back on the floor of the hallway leading to Hypnos' domain, with Rachel at my side.
"Thank you Hypnos," I spoke aloud in gratitude, but no voice responded. "I do believe, we have our answers," I looked to Rachel with a confident smile.