Chapter 3: I Swear on the Styx

Chapter 2

Well. That was interesting.

I decided to head over to Chiron and see what he thought about the prophecy. As I exited the forges I saw a crowd gathering by the entrance tree. Then they split and Chiron exited the group, followed by Jackie holding a near comatose Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

That answers the question as to where she was.

I met up with them at the Big House.

“What is it my boy?” Chiron started. “We have somewhat of an emergency, we don’t know what happened to Rachel when she crossed the camp borders.” He looked back at Jackie, struggling to carry Rachel to the house.

“Looks to me like she gave a prophecy.” I replied, and before he could respond I held up the paper. He read it over and sighed.

“So it appears she did. This is highly irregular though, she has to be physically near the receiver usually.”

“I get the feeling that my prophecies are usually like this. Irregular.” Jackie struggled up.

“I don’t know how, Roman, but this is your fault. When I find out how you are involved, I will make you pay.” What do you know, she does have it out for me.

“Much as I enjoy your animosity Jackie, I got a prophecy to complete.” I replied as I walked off, leaving her staring at me and spluttering as a couple other Apollo campers came up behind her and picked up Rachel, carrying her into the Big House and to her room inside. Alex and Steve intercepted me as I walked toward Cabin Nine.

“Just the two I was looking for,” I explained what happened with the Oracle. “I formally ask you two to join me on this quest.” Steve nodded and went off to his cabin to grab his stuff. Alex looked closely at me.

“This ‘unless with music you take the hall’ line probably means you should take one of the Apollo campers. They are more musically inclined,” she said. My heart skipped a beat.

“But,” I paused. “But there are no Apollo campers who I trust to have my back.” She smiled at that comment. “Ah, that reminds me.” I lifted up the necklace I had made just before the Oracle mugged me. It was still in my hand.

“This is for you, a belated birthday present.” I held it out. She looked at it with a frown on her face.

“Just because I am a girl does not mean I will automatically like jewelry.” She said, turning angry eyes towards me. I smiled, which caused her to raise one of her eyebrows.

“Put it on and press the center of the flower,” I instructed. She did as I asked, still frowning. She pressed the button and the whole thing glowed momentarily, then it appeared to melt and flow over her body. Once it was done she was encased in a full suite of armor. The chest piece bent and moved like it was a piece of cloth, the shoulder plates held daggers that were easy to reach and remove, but would not fall out if she did not want them to. On the arms there were blades that she could use instead of her two-handed sword, and the gloves also had ridges on the knuckles so that when she punched something, it added an extra oomph. The whole thing was a mixture of Celestial Bronze and Ruby that made her look fierce enough to give an enemy pause when facing her.

She stared in shock at the armor.

“The necklace makes you look like a lady, confusing any ol’ Muggle out there. Hit the button and your ready for battle.” She looked up at me and her smile was all the thanks I needed. “See you in ten and we’ll head out for the quest.” She just nodded, pressed the rose again, and the armor melted into the necklace.

I entered Cabin 9 and Leo was setting up the rotations of who would go with him to Bunker 9 to work on the boat for this week. He looked at me.

“Where you been man? I think we might need you and the others to mass produce more armor plating.”

“Sorry Cap,” when I found out he was head counselor of the cabin I started calling him Captain. It annoyed him to hell. “I got a quest.”

“Seriously? Another Caligual thing?” He asked. That was a good question. With my dream this morning I would probably bet good money on it. Then Jackie filled the front door, pointing her crossbow straight at me.

“I am not letting you help any Giants, Roman. It sounds just like something you would do. Help Gaia rescue more of her children from the abyss.” This was getting annoying.

“The Aloadae are not Gaia’s children Jackie. They are children of Poseidon.” I responded.

“They are giants. All giants are children of Gaia. You are not going to help them.”

“Did you listen to the whole thing girl?” My temper was getting the best of me. “I am to recapture them at the end of this quest. And for your information, if I need to rescue them from something and then recapture them, it means that something worse would be released if I don’t get my ass out there and complete the quest. You have until I get back up here to get out of my way, or we will finally find out who can beat who in a fight.” With that, I spun around and got onto my bunk, pressing the button to take me down to my room. Leo looked a little shock at my loosing my temper, but that was to be expected. I usually stayed calm no matter what happened.

When I got back to my room I loaded some stuff into my jacket pockets. The pockets are pretty much endless, but are limited in size to what I can put in there. I loaded up some metal scraps to work with if I had time, my headset in case the electric guitar didn’t work, and my sketchpad. I then went to my worktable and picked up the backpack that Josh the Minotaur had given me during my last quest and looked inside. The assorted weaponry was still in there but not much else. I picked up one of the briefcases that was leaning against the wall. The thing weighed 70lb, but if we needed a fast getaway, it should do the job.

I loaded the pencils onto the backpack strap and checked the bottom for access to my explosive throwing knives and axes. Check and check. Taking a look around I double checked to make sure I didn’t miss anything in here. Once that was done, I got back on the bunk and went back up to the cabin. I found Jackie still there, arguing with Leo.

“It isn’t fair how you judge him Jackie,” he was saying. “He was checked over by Clovis and Jason. He is legit, and he doesn’t want to kill anyone. Well except Drew, but everyone wants to do that.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t trust Him, or Jason. The stories are too convenient, something is wrong, and considering what happens to Rachel whenever this kid is around,” she indicated me, “I think they are spies of Gaia.” I walked forward and out of the cabin, ignoring her and her complaints. She didn’t trust me, and I could respect that. Jason and I show up to camp with our memory missing. Jason had the excuse that Juno took his memory, but I had no such excuse. Nobody knew where my memory went. Couple that with the fact that Caligula knew me by name when I met him for, what seemed to me, the first time tended to imply bad things.

The fact that she was taking this paranoia to such heights, however, was too much. As expected she stormed out of Cabin Nine. What I didn’t expect was that she raised her crossbow and fired. Jackie was a child of Apollo. She never missed with a ranged weapon. Couple that with the fact that the crossbow was meant to cripple opponents meant that I would have been screwed if not for Jason.

I heard the twang and battle reflexes took over, I activated Galcius in its shield form and swung it up to guard myself, and I saw the bolt sticking out of the ground a few feet in front of me. The bolt was nearly as long as me. Next to the cabin Jason was kneeling and breathing hard. Jackie's crossbow was reloading itself, but she didn’t look in much of a position to use it. Piper McLean was holding a dagger up to her neck and Leo was standing in front of her with his hands on fire.

“Jackie, your concerns are valid. However, until we find out otherwise we will give him the benefit of the doubt. He has worked hard to help us around the camp, and he has protected us all from destruction via Caligula’s madness. If you try something like this again without any proof to your accusations against any camper, you will get more than just a warning.” Piper said.

“Get moving on your quest Mark. Alex and Steve are waiting for you by the Big House. We will let the Camp know what she has done so that she won’t hunt you down again.” Jason said.

“No. She did this in an effort to protect the camp, however misguided.” I started, then I turned to Jackie.

“Jackie, I swear on the River Styx that I am not, in any way, seeking to harm any Demigod in any way. If, in the future, I am forced to combat Demigods, or any of our parents, I will not seek to destroy them unless I have proof that it is the best choice. In menus veneratio.” On my honor. Jason nodded to me, Jackie frowned.

“On my honor.” Piper translated. She had been studying Latin since I had arrived. Jackie lowered her weapon.

“I accept your oath.” She said in a voice that indicated she rather would not have.

“Go centurion. Aut vincere aut mort.”

“Aut vincere aut mort, Preator.” I turned and left the scene.

I reached the Big House to find Alex and Steve waiting for me.

“What took you so long?” Alex asked, frowning. I realized I had not put Glacius away.

“Took me a little bit of time to find some of the things I needed.” I lied. Growlz bit my ear. Hard. I poked him in his metal belly.

“Lemme grab some supplies from the kitchens and med bay and I will be ready. Do we know where we are going?” Steve and Alex followed me as I entered the house.

“It would help if we heard the prophecy,” Steve replied. I slammed my face into my hand in frustration. I forgot they weren't there when the Oracle came. I told them what she said.

“The Aloadae are the Giant children of Poseidon. They grew at incredible rates, to heights taller than most mountains. They were brothers who were also nearly invincible, only able to be killed by a weapon wielded by the other. They stormed Olympus and tried to make Hera and Artemis their wives, but were defeated when they were tricked into killing each other. Hades has them chained somewhere in the Underworld, eternally tortured by the need to grow and being unable to, as well as other more mundane tortures.” Steve enumerated.

“Well, that implies we need to go to the Underworld, and by the path of Orpheus if the prophecy is any indication.” Alex concluded while I shoveled food, nectar, and ambrosia into my pockets.

“Alright I am ready to go, where is this ‘Path of Orpheus?’” I asked.

“Central Park.” Steve said.

Chapter 4