The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

six

HAZEL SENSES TUNNELS

They had the field of Mars all to themselves.

Since no war games were scheduled that evening, Apollo and Ariana could frolic through the wasteland to their heart's content, admiring the wreckage of chariots, broken battlements, smoldering pits, and trenches filled with sharpened spikes.

Another romantic sunset stroll.

The duo climbed an old siege tower and sat facing the northern hills. With a deep breath, Apollo reached into his quiver and pulled out the Arrow of Dodona.

"I need help," He told it.

The arrow remained silent, perhaps stunned by my admission. Or perhaps Apollo pulled out the wrong arrow and he was talking to an inanimate object.

Finally, the shaft rattled in his hand.

"I...I am supposed to show strength." Apollo said. "According to Lupa, I'm supposed to save the day somehow, or the pack-New Rome-will die. But do I do that?"

Apollo told the arrow all that had happened in the last few days: his encounter with the eurynomoi, his dreams about the emperors and Tarquin, his conversation with Lupa, their quest from the Roman senate.

"I crossed the Tiber alive," Apollo summed up, "just like the prophecy said. Now, how do I 'start to jive'? Does this mortal body have a reset switch?"

The arrow buzzed.

"That's it? No advice? No snarky comments?"

A pause.

"But I don't have time! We're leaving for Tarquin's tomb, like"-Apollo glanced to the west, where the sun was beginning to sink behind the hills -"basically now!"

Ariana sat next to Apollo, styling her hair randomly and then undoing it. Messing with her hair gave her something to do and since her mind was on Silena (thanks to her dream) it seemed like the most logical thing to do.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Did you just use the term skedaddleth?"

A pause.

"I appreciate a good boon as much as the next person. But if I'm going to contribute to this quest and not just cower in the corner, I need to know how"- his voice cracked -"how to be me again."

"What do you mean?" Apollo demanded. "That's the whole point! Everything I'm doing is so-"

"Are you talking to that arrow?" said a voice below them.

At the base of the siege tower stood Frank Zhang. Next to him was Hannibal the Elephant, impatiently pawing the mud.

"Hi," Apollo squeaked, his voice still ragged with emotion. "I was just... This arrow gives prophetic advice. It talks. In my head."

"It's so weird, Frank." Ariana shook her head. "Honestly, sometimes it feels like he's dating the bloody arrow and not me."

"I can ensure you I am not!" Apollo proclaimed. "And once I'm a god again I will happily shout that I'm dating you to everyone in Olympus."

Ariana smirked.

Bless him, Frank managed to maintain a poker face. "Okay. I can leave if-"

"No, no." Apollo slipped the arrow back in his quiver. "It needs time to process. What brings you out here?"

"Walking the elephant." Frank pointed to Hannibal, in case Ariana might be wondering which elephant. "He gets stir-crazy when we don't have war games. Bobby used to be our elephant handler, but..."