The Betrayed Hero

Chapter 17

Percy's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at his father, whose eyes were filled with sorrow and appeared to be burdened by the past. His father's focus was on the blade in his hand. Percy recognised the underlying feelings and resentment that existed between them.

The room was filled with an uncomfortable quiet, broken only by their deep breaths.
Artemis spoke first, breaking the tension and asking, "Are you ready to face what comes ahead?"

"We have already seen worse; what more do we have to see now? Let's hear it," Skià answered with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Artemis hesitated for a moment before responding, "There's no turning back now."

"We haven't travelled this far to turn back," Skià replied confidently, her eyes narrowing under the hood as she stared at Artemis, searching for any sign of doubt or hesitation.

"Let's hear the prophecy from our oracle." Apollo interrupted his twin and the squad member, his golden hair shining in the dim light. His tone was a mixture of caution and resolve as he said, "The oracle has prophesied a great battle that awaits us."

Rachel Dare stepped forward from the shadows, her eyes gleaming with an otherworldly wisdom, her voice carrying a weight of ancient knowledge, and spoke with a steady voice.

"Once defeated shall rise again,

Vengeance would be wanted again.

Would be the Hero and the Broken,

Olympus would fall again."

The weight of Rachel's words hung in the air, sending a shiver down the spines of everyone present. The prophecy's ominous tone left no room for doubt; the fate of Olympus rested on their shoulders, and failure was not an option. leaving the room in a tense silence. The prophecy painted a grim picture of the future. As both the commander and the second in command visibly flinched at the prophecy as if both understood the words of the prophecy better than anyone else in the room, a wave of uncertainty washed over the rest of the team. The squad members exchanged worried glances, realising the extent of the battle ahead.

Chiron moved forward and spoke calmly, breaking the silence, before anyone else could speak. "My Lord, we should return to the camp; we cannot leave the camp for long during these times, and we will also need to fill in with our guests and make arrangements for them." Chiron's words reminded the team of their duties and the need to focus on their responsibilities. They understood that they had to concentrate on their current responsibilities as well as work towards strategizing for the war at hand , as they nodded in agreement. They shifted back and started discussing how to set up the camp and ensure that their visitors had a comfortable journey back to it.

All while the members of the elite team remained silent.

As soon as they reached back at the camp, Chiron announced to meet for lunch while he, along with Hephaestus and Athena cabin members, went to make arrangements for their guests to accommodate while the other campers went along to their duties assigned by their respective counsellors. The elite team, however, stayed behind to discuss; once they were left alone, Percy sighed and turned around to his members. "Help them," Percy said to his team members. "Be respectful, and keep a lookout. I'll be back in a few."

"Where are you going?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Percy simply gave a mysterious smile before walking away, leaving his team to carry out his instructions carefully.

"I have something to do; I'll be back."

With a nod, the team members dispersed to assist the campers in building their temporary cabin and settling in, each taking on a different task to ensure everything ran smoothly. Percy headed towards the stables. As he approached the stables, Percy could hear the sounds of horses neighing and hooves stomping. He quickened his pace. The familiar smell of hay and manure filled his nostrils as he entered the stables, greeted by the sight of the Pegasus's. And in the last stall, he could see Blackjack, his trusty Pegasus, waiting for him. Percy smiled, relieved to see his loyal companion safe and sound.