𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒! percy jackson

viii. Children Of Athena

━━ chapter eight
children of athena

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

      COINCIDENCES didn't just happen as a demigod. The fact that Leo found a book from the Kerkopes they stole from a minor god in Venice, the place they were supposed to go as told by Hecate wasn't just something to ignore. Leo also found something made by Odysseus, which wasn't much, but Sam agreed when he said he found it fascinating. They were both like that━since Leo let Sam help out with the controls on the Argo II, he started to gain quite a liking to engineering, which very much linked to his want to take up architecture; as most children of Athena did. 

      And so they continued their way to Venice with the book and the God in mind. Sam waited it out by himself━well, not really, he was sitting with Annabeth in her cabin, trying to keep her company now that her best friend was in Tartarus after just finding him again for months. 

      He tried to ask questions about this minor god.

      Annabeth shrugged. She examined the book Leo found, peering at the strange designs. "I have an idea," she murmured. "Thing is, I haven't seen anything like these on Daedalus's laptop. And I can barely read this."

      Sam slumped, "That's encouraging," he muttered. "Is there anything you remember? I'm trying to think but nothing's coming up. There are so many minor gods."

      His sister passed back the book, a shadowy look in her grey eyes. Sam recognised it, and he mentally cursed himself. "Annabeth," he quickly said. "I'm not saying that you don't know anything━that's not what I meant."

      "I know," she grumbled. With a huff, she stood up and started to pace her cabin, glowering at her walls. There was very little in her cabin, it helped her concentrate and not get distracted because of her ADHD. "Just ..." she faltered, and sighed. Clenching her fists, she stopped by her desk, and her scowl landed on her old Yankee's cap; the one that used to be able to turn her invisible but stopped working ever since she talked to her mother about the Mark of Athena. Even after finishing the quest, it was useless. But she still kept it. Sam understood that. 

      He pulled his legs up to cross them on his sister's bed. "Annabeth," he tried, "it's not your fault. We're trying to get them back━and we will get them back. Don't feel guilty about it, okay?"

       "I don't feel guilty," she grumbled, but it was a lie━they both knew it. "I'm just trying to think all this through. So we will get them back, and there will be no chance that we won't."

      "You don't have to think of it yourself," Sam tried to persuade her. But it was difficult; even without this survivor's guilt she was carrying on her shoulders like the weight of the world all over again, Annabeth was closed-off, and she was determined to fix things herself. Her pride most definitely got in the way. Not that Sam was any better. Hubris was common in fatal flaws for Athena children, too. "Just take a breather and join us━we'll come up with a solution."

      Then, Annabeth's harsh glare faltered and with a sigh, she returned to her bed and sat down beside him. "I had this dream," she murmured.

      Sam nodded, and shuffled closer, listening.

      "I saw Reyna," she said, frowning. "She was standing in front of Thalia's tree back at Camp. She ... she looked at me, but when she spoke, it was Mom's voice."

      This made him frown, too. "What did she say?"

     Annabeth took a shaky breath and continued: "'You have done well. The rest of my journey must be on the wings of Rome. I must stand here. The Roman must bring me.' After that, the hill shook, and Gaea rose over Camp Half-Blood; there were Hellhounds, Giants, Cyclops, Earthborn, they were all coming to attack ... 'Hurry, the message must be sent ...'"