Unlikely Heroes

Chapter 108: Farewell and discussing

Aileen "Pistis" Corvius

The loss of Pan was felt deeply by the nature spirits that live around camp. Songs of grief filled the air as Dyads sang, Satyrs were gathering in the council rooms in silence, and even some of the Gods were showing their condolences in their own way. Zeus made sure no clouds were visible. Poseidon calmed the seas. Demeter made the forest and land bloom. It was evident that Pan will be missed.

Grover walks through the heart of the open tree that functions as a meeting place. He was flanked by the many nature spirits as he went up to the Council of Elders. On the right many Dryads were witnessing the official message of Pan, among them was also Juniper who looked saddened by the news. I think it also had a lot to do with Grover himself. She knows how much it meant to find Pan but not like this.

The other side was filled with Satyrs with some Demigods and other people from camp. Most notable were all the Head Counselors of all the cabins, Chiron, and Zoe. Lastly, there are the two resident Goddesses, Calypso and myself.

Grover approached the council that was seated in a semi-circle. All were wearing a hard expressions as they watch the young Satyr. They may have doubted Grover but this time it was hard. It was obvious from what Calypso and I showed. Even more so as the Gods were grieving or at least giving their signs of respect to the recently passed Pan. As Grover gave his message, the nature spirits were again singing. Nature itself was giving its last goodbye.

—

After the ceremony ~ War meeting in the Big House

All the important people were present as we talk about the coming battle. It is inevitable. But we were more worried about what Percy will tell about what he learned from the Palace of the Titans. From what I can tell, it is not good news. Even if most news has not been good the last few years. The only person missing from the meeting is Nico. Aphrodite sure is taking her time with him...

"What Bianca and I saw in the Titan palace is bad..." Percy starts to say, "He is back."

Everyone was quiet as they stared at Percy. Clarisse shook her head as she massaged her temple. "You mean that Titan King?! That's impossible right?!"

I glance at Calypso and Vincent. If anyone should know it is them. Chiron thought the same thing as he looked toward Calypso for answers. Calypso clears her throat uncomfortably.

"Not necessarily... Demigods are excellent vessels for our spirit. The stronger the better, so a Demigod of one of the Big Three would be most... beneficial. Their bodies can withstand the power of a Titan better. The Titans would be able to use their powers more effectively. It is possible," Calypso explains.

"But it still wouldn't be enough. Even if Bianca or Percy would become a host, it still would disintegrate because of all the power," Vincent says as a counterargument. Calypso nods in agreement.

"Yes, but not if the body was submerged in the River Styx. The body becomes indestructible which means it can withstand all the punishment of hosting the Titan in the body. Probably still... painful. But it would be enough," Calypso answers.

"That's bad... If the Titan King comes here..." Chiron mumbles with worry written all over his face. "I don't know if we can stop him."

"But we have Calypso and Aileen here! That should be enough for a good defense right?" Selina says, pointing to the mentioned persons.

"Calypso, maybe. But Aileen is vulnerable to the powers of the Titan King. She would struggle to fight the time manipulation," Chiron says.

"I can't defeat Kronos alone. He was our king for a reason. If he is as strong as he was back then, I fear my powers would not be enough. We need to destroy either his body or the Labyrinth. To prevent him from coming here in the first place," Calypso says without sugarcoating it. Great, and we don't know where this Daedalus is.

"We stand a chance. A good chance," Annabeth interrupts as she strokes her chin while thinking. That's my girl. Leave it to her to think of something.

"And what may that be, Wise Girl? His army we can handle, I think, but the Time Lord... I don't know," Clarisse mutters.

"No, no, don't you remember that we got a prophecy? It all has come to pass except for a few lines.

'The child of Athena's final stand,

Destroy with a hero's final breath'

The rest have all come to pass from what I have observed and told. The first three lines were about us delving into the maze the first time and the second time. The last two lines were about Aileen's gamble with Calypso. And...

'Lose a love to worse than death'

That line means Luke is possessed by the Titan King. I know, because I loved him as my own brother. So, we know that we will succeed, but that is only because of Daedalus. Destroy and hero's final breath... that means Daedalus finally excepting his fate. The Labyrinth will cease to exist and the camp will be safe," Annabeth explains.

"But we don't know where he is. How is he gonna help us when we don't even know what he is going to do?" One of the Stoll twins says.

"Have faith. The Fates are never wrong. It is paramount that we stand our ground till Daedalus arrives. We need a defensive plan. Clarisse, what do you think?" I ask.

"Right. We have a few things working for us. The entrance is small and surrounded by rocks and trees. It will make it easy for the Hephaestus Cabin to set traps. Also, we will be able to use the environment as a barrier and protection. But what could really boost chances of success is Aileen and Calypso. Are you going to fight with us?"

"Of course! Bianca is going to, and so will I!" Calypso says, arms around Bianca as she snuggles into her. "Cal, this is embarrassing..." Bianca mutters.

"It's cute," I say with a chuckle, "We will join you. But I fear we will be occupied by something. During the fight, we can't go into full divine form. Therefore Cal and I will fight the most powerful of the monsters. To hopefully keep the causalities low," I say.

"Good. I will visit the area with Beckendorf and Annabeth to talk about the specifics. But we will be able to have a good fighting chance. Especially now that the Barbies had a taste of our way of thinking," she says, glancing at Selina with a smirk. She in turn blushed with embarrassment. I guess they earned each other's respect somehow.

"Excellent, everyone should prepare for battle. We do not know when they'll strike. It is for the best that we stay on high alert. If there are any weapons or armor that need fixing, go to the forge where the Hephaestus Cabin will stand ready. I know that all here are well-trained and prepared for battle. Even Aphrodite's cabin, surprisingly, but death will be in any battle. Make sure you say goodbye to your loved ones if you like," Chiron says before he stood up from his seat. "I'm proud of each one of you. Let's protect our home."