Mending a prophecy, and other fate related shenanigans.

Reunion.

You are received by the mayor of the town, one Dylon Nuan, who explains that they've been having issues with the creature residing in the Farsea Swamp, and that you'll receive your reward upon defeating it.

With the end of your journey within sight, you make way to the swamp with renovated strength.

The ground gives under Reyna's and Valdez' feet, but not Nico's, and he hadn't really considered how reptilian dragons were until forgoes his shoes and stares at scales. The others have also given up their footwear, since their clothes aren't exactly waterproof.

This decision has caused Valdez, in particular, to roll for constitution almost regularly, and Reyna too but less often. The reason being that there were leeches in the swamp, which were seemingly uninterested in Nico, for whatever reason.

"Maybe drake blood's toxic to them"

It's moments like these where Nico wonders just how uneven the leftover fragments of Valdez' identity are, or how complex his previous mask had been. He hasn't decided which idea he likes least.

As they approach the heart of the swamp though, all life seems to disappear, even the leeches currently stuck to his companion's skin fall to the ground. There's not a single bout of moss, or weed, or insect, just a circle of deep-looking murky water.

The place is deadly quiet, so much so that when someone else approaches the sound of their footsteps reverberates through the entire area. Him and Reyna ready their weapons instantly, but Valdez hesitates, taking a step closer to the newcomers.

The one on the very left is a short and stout figure with dark skin and an impressive black beard in intricate braids, they have a shortbow slung over their shoulder and a rapier in their hands. The one of the very right is a tall and slender figure with long pointed ears and pale skin, they have a shortsword in hand.

The final figure's the one that most catches their attention, they're not much taller than a human, and they are humanoid, but their skin is covered by aquamarine scale, their ears and hair are instead green fins, and they have a pair of big greenish-colored eyes that can only be described as fish-like. They even blink sideways!

Nico is two seconds away from pulling Valdez back when he sees that creature point a trident at him, and then Valdez opens his mouth.

"Percy?"

The fish-person blinks once, twice, thrice, and then speaks in a voice that's almost dolphin-like.

"Leo?"

Part of Nico had forgotten, only remembering now, that moment in the clearing at the beginning of this journey, where he hadn't recognized Reyna. He should've known it'd be no different with the others.

The elf, Annabeth if Nico's remembering their characters correctly, approaches Valdez with her sword still raised. Valdez, for his part, simply raises his hands in surrender and grins at her. A moment later the weapons drop.

The dwarf, and Hazel looks so different in her new skin, approaches him and Reyna sheepishly.

"Nico? Reyna?"

They both nod and she seems to relax at this. Granted, Valdez does have a tendency to get himself tangled in the most ridiculous sort of trouble. Percy looks over at them and makes a nodding motion.

"We're only missing three"

Valdez puts a hand to his chin, considering.

"Frank's probably gonna be the easiest to recognize of them"

Percy turns to him.

"How come?"

Nico would make a comment at that, but as he just failed at recognizing Annabeth, who only really changed ear-shape, he'll keep quiet.

"Well, Jason's gonna have a bird-head, and Piper's gonna have like tusks and muscles, shifters like Frank are a lot closer to humans"

There's a chorused 'huh' that resounds through the area at that. No man should have that much power.

Then there's a loud screech, and a wyvern descends onto view, carrying three new figures, which must be the last drop because the water beneath starts bubbling and out comes the lake creature.

Before you stands a massive creature covered in tar-colored scales, four blindingly white orbs where eyes would be, two long and sharply pointed horns, and a maw full of razor sharp white teeth. The beast opens it's mouth, revealing two more rows of the same sharp teeth, and lets out a bone-chilling roar.

The creature of the lake is snake-like in shape, with ribbon like appendages that further cement the whole 'tar-creature' aesthetic, and it's specifically because of that that Nico thinks it out of place.

At once all their dice bags fall into existence, and Nico notes that him and Valdez are the only ones who have it on their right wrist as opposed to the left. He notes none of them have marks like Valdez', probably thanks to Annabeth's ability to figure things out.

They all pull out their respective twenty-sided dice, and roll for initiative, Nico in particular, barely strays from a critical failure. Can one even fail an initiative check? Do you lose a turn or something?

Nico shakes the thought away, and waits for his chance to strike, luckily, he's kept busy with acrobatic checks.

Whoever's on the wyvern, probably Jason and company, also helps with the fight, and soon the monster's reeling back. And then the weirdest thing happens, the monster starts floating into the air and shrinking, then Percy is whipping up a water bubble around it, and then Annabeth makes glass appear around said bubble creating a sea monster in a fish-bowl. The air around them clears, and the temperature returns to that of a swamp with the creature captured.

"I think that's the most DnD thing that could've happened"

And when the fuck did Valdez get this close, luckily for Nico he's bouncing away when the wyvern lands and from it dismount a man-bird, a shrunk-down Frank, and a tall muscular female figure with violet skin and boar-like tusks.

The two who aren't Frank seem to light up at Valdez, proving that they are indeed Piper and Jason. Everyone reunites with teasing jabs and comments about their journeys while making their way back to the city to claim their reward.

The atmosphere is so light that even Nico allows himself to participate in the ribbing, receiving the blows towards his own new appearance with sarcasm and unhidden amusement. It's nice to have everyone back together, sue him.