THE RISE OF THE VETERES

I GET A NEW QUEST AND A DATE

"Helen, please stop fidgeting so much."

"Sorry, Elena."

"Am I hurting you?"

"A bit."

I sat down on Helen's bed, watching Elena(Hypsipyle) do Helen's hair. The two of them had become quite close. Elena treated my little sis as if she were her little sis. Helen didn't seem to mind, though. She often let Elena tend to her hair and even help her dress.

But like I said before, with what occurred last year looming over everyone's head, we had become a tight-knit group of supporters. Elena became a sister to everyone. She lifted people's spirits when they were down, and her smile lit up DGH. Nobody was down when they were with her. Even Anatasia was cheery(well, she smiled) when she was with her.

And she was a goddess. It wasn't uncommon to find her swaying off dates from the college kids and adults here. Even the satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs asked her out. Her beauty was enough to make her loved, and her cheery demeanor only reinforced it.

The only problem was that people assumed I was going out with Elena. Well, to their credit, they were technically correct. I seldom took her on walks through Manhattan and the other boroughs. But that was because she asked me to, and I wanted her to know her way around the city, and she wanted to see every speck of it. Aside from me, Andromeda and the other hunters were the only others that could show her around as we can't have people knowing that Elena...doesn't know what a car is. Then, they'll begin to suspect who she is, and that'll be a problem, even though she changed her name. The same went for the followers Elena brought here. I could have just let Andromeda take Elena with her, but she always asked me to go with her, and I just couldn't refuse her.

Then, there was the fact that Elena relied on me to teach her how to read and write, among other things. And frankly, I enjoyed the time together, especially when I read books to her. Last year, she could only read books for second graders. Now, she was apt enough to read books for adults by herself - and that was amazing. I congratulated her by taking her out to LA GRANDE BOUCHERIE and letting her buy new dresses - and paying for them. So, I guess I went on a date with her?

Someone knocked on the door. It was Nick. "Is Helen here - oh, Elena. Would you happen to know where Yiannis is?"

"He's here. Yi-"

"Yep, I'm right over here. Is there anything you want, Nick?"

"Can we talk somewhere else?"

And so my room it was.

I sat on my bed. "Anything important? Your voice made me think something serious has happened."

Nick nodded. "Chiron informed me of our newest quest. And Kronos wants to talk to you tonight."

"Let's start with Chiron. What'd he have to say?"

"Athena has ascertained that some of Kronos's forces are hiding in the labyrinth. Zeus has given Chiron the green light to send heroes there to investigate."

I suppose the gods are aware that Hecate has turned on them. Does Athena suspect the same for Hades, then? After all, Hecate serves her. Have the gods considered anything about the Underworld?"

"This is just my opinion, but I believe your father coming to our defense last year convinced the gods he was authentically on their side. So him cutting ties with Olympus seems unimportant. The rest of the gods probably think it's still just a squabble between him and Zeus after what happened last year."

"But why was Hermes at Olympus? I thought Hades was ordered to capture him."

"I believe Hades is waiting until the war begins when the gods will need their messenger more than ever."