The Betrayed Hero

Chapter 22

When Zale reached the dining pavilion, the campers and his team members had already started with their breakfast. He grabbed a plate of food and joined them at their breakfast table, and sat in between Charles and Selena. As he ate, Zale listened to the chatter around him. The morning sun shone through the trees, casting a warm glow over the group.

His breakfast was interrupted by a soft "Where were you?" asked by Selena.

Zale looked up, meeting Selena's concerned gaze. "I met someone; I'll tell you all later," he replied, trying to keep his tone casual and loud enough so that only his team members could hear. He could sense the curiosity in their eyes, but they knew they would have to wait until they were alone to reveal the details of his encounter. The rest of breakfast passed in comfortable silence, with Zale feeling glad for the trust of his team, but he quickly changed the subject by asking about how they slept at night, and the conversation shifted smoothly, allowing Zale to keep his encounter a secret for now.

As they finished their meal, Chiron cleared his throat. "Let's meet here in ten minutes. For the meeting, everyone should join and be prepared to discuss any potential obstacles they foresee or any new information that they have."

Zale nodded in agreement, while other campers stood up and went on their way to prepare for the meeting. The Elite Team took a moment before heading off to the cabin to get ready for the meeting and talk about their leader's morning encounter.

As soon as they entered their cabin, everyone took off their hoods and sighed. "That was the most awkward breakfast ever," Lee said while others hummed in agreement.

"What happened, Zale? You met someone on the beach?" Charles asked, moving to sit on his bed.

"Yes, I actually talked with dad."

"You met Poseidon!" Bianca exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. Zale nodded, a small smile evident in his face as he recounted the conversation with his father. The Elite Team listened intently, knowing that this encounter could change everything for them because Zale had let the god know about 'Percy' or, better yet, 'himself' being alive.

"Zale I know we have permission from Chaos to reveal our identity, but already your mom and stepdad know, and now Poseidon?" Luke asked, worried. Zale nodded, understanding Luke's concern. "I understand, but he swore on Styx; he won't go around telling anyone," he reassured his team, "and I believe this could be the key to gaining his support in our mission; he would trust us more because now 'Percy' is involved, and you know that even if one big three is from our side, we can do very well, and as I said yesterday, my parents are under Chaos magic; they will bank out if anyone asks about me."

"What about Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary? They can give away who you are? Do you want to reveal your identity?" Zoe asked after a brief pause.

"There are no other children of Poseidon, yet in the camp, his dining table and cabin are empty." Selena answered, "So Blackjack can't reveal anything." Bianca added, helpfully smiling at the small victory.

"What about Mrs. O'Leary?" Lee asked, "Because Nico will be able to sense her familiarity."

"She did not see me; I had my hood up, she just smelled me." Zale answered confidently. "I made sure to keep my distance from her as well," he added, reassuringly. "We should still be cautious," Selena warned, "Nico is very perceptive." Bianca nodded in agreement, her smile fading slightly. "Let's not take any unnecessary risks," she suggested, looking around at the group for confirmation.

"Let's go; it's meeting time." Charles spoke up after a moment of silence.

Sighing everyone pulled their hoods up and followed Zale out of the cabin, towards the dining pavilion.

Campers were slowly joining at the dining pavilion and sitting at their tables for the meeting; even Nico was at his own table rather than joining his new friend Will Solace at the Apollo table.

The campers were mummering among themselves as they waited for the meeting to begin, their eyes occasionally darting towards the Elite team's table. The atmosphere was tense and intimidating, but the campers remained determined to keep their distance and stay cautious around the newcomers.

A few moments later, Chiron, in his full centaur form, along with Mr. D, arrived at the dining pavilion, and the campers rushed to their seats as the camp director and activities director took their positions at the table at the front of the room. Chiron cleared his throat, signalling for silence, and began the meeting by addressing the recent monster attacks in the surrounding area and filling in the details of the attack for the elite team. Mr. D chimed in with his usual sarcastic remarks while munching on the grapes.

"We need stronger forces while we look out for the leads of prophecy and the causes of the attacks." Annabeth said while fiddling with her dagger, her eyes trained on the elite team.

"The attacks are not as powerful as we thought they would be by now, but I have a feeling that soon they are going to start using more force." Clarrise added from her table, her face twisted in a scowl, and Zale pressed his lips into a small smile at the memories of his former bully. "The prophecy must be our top priority," Annabeth continued, her voice filled with resoluteness. "We can't afford to underestimate our enemies any longer," Clarrise chimed in, her fists clenched in frustration.

"We need to focus on both." Katie muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"When are the backups arriving?" the second in command, Ìoras asked, his voice steady and authoritative. "We need to ensure we have all the power necessary to confront the attacks head-on," he stated firmly. "We have to be prepared for anything; we can't afford any slip-ups ," Fotià added, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of protest. "Let's make sure we're all on the same page before moving forward."

"We need to coordinate our efforts and stay on guard," Travis said, nodding in agreement, his expression determined and serious for the first time since the meeting started. "We can't afford any miscommunication or mistakes." His brother Cornor added to his statement from the side, bumping his shoulder against his other sibling, who sat to his side.

"The hunters will be returning tonight late in the evening, and the Romans will be here by early tomorrow. We can have another meeting then to talk about strategies and the prophecy. We should focus on gathering supplies and preparing our defences in the meantime." Chiron said, his tail swishing behind him. "The safety of our camp depends on it," Chiron continued, his gaze solid as he addressed the group. "Let's not underestimate our enemies."

"We have our Army trainer coming as well, he will be here by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to help with combat training and preparation," Zale said.

"We don't need help to train; we know how to fight." Piper interjected, crossing her arms defiantly, It was the first time she had spoken to or even addressed the elite team since their arrival, and the campers agreed with her objection, mummering and scowling at the suggestion of getting a trainer, specifically the Ares cabin. Zale raised an eyebrow at Piper's comment but remained composed. "Even the best warriors can benefit from additional training," he replied calmly, "and our trainer is not going to be here just to train but also to help with the war." The campers exchanged confused glances, unsure how to react to Zale's statement. Piper, on the other hand, stood firm, her stare unwavering as she returned his gaze.

"War is coming, and we need to be prepared," Chiron stated firmly, his voice unwavering and his gaze set on Piper. "We will take all the help we can get."

Zale nodded in agreement. "We will also help in training, fighting and strategizing."

"Let's continue our duties as normal, and the Elite team will help the campers with their tasks as they want, and we will wait for Romans and hunters to start with all other planning so they are not left out." With that, Chiron wrapped up the meeting, and the group dispersed to begin their preparations for the approaching war.