A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

VII| last minute conversations

Fifteenth of August.. Three days..

Daphne was counting down the days like it was Christmas or her own Birthday but it wasn't either of those. It was Percy's birthday.

The lines of the prophecy played on repeat in her head. It was set to happen on Percy's birthday either the destruction of Olympus or the rise of it. Daphne wasn't even sure which one she'd prefer anymore.

Reality of war was weighing down on her, the inevitable deaths already consuming her with guilt. She felt responsible. Daphne had done little to reject Luke's offer all those years ago and now here she was.

The daughter of Hermes wasn't even sure if her safety was guaranteed, never mind her friends whom Luke had promised her would be unharmed. Yet, here they were - about to head into war.

Kronos didn't care about the demigods; they were all beginning to realise that. But they wanted justice, they wanted the gods to recognise their children.

That was the whole reason for the war. Recognition. It was what kept Daphne from running back to Camp Half-Blood in the first place. Running back to them wouldn't solve anything, it was just let the gods know that they could continue.

But they couldn't; Daphne Evans wanted them to know that.

As the days continued to count down, it was like a cloud of dread was hanging over the heads of all the demigods. It was like everyone was on edge, like the atmosphere of the entire ship was changing with each new tick of the clock.

Did it help that the demigods of the Kronos Army kept drinking? Probably not.

The whole lot of them sat in their designated area of the ship, unsupervised and undisturbed with alcohol floating around the room and slipping into cups that slipped into their mouths and hands.

Daphne couldn't even recall when she was last sober. Toni, Ethan and her kept themselves in a corner trying to make the most it their potential last few days.

Drinking became the norm as the days went on - it was the only way to keep the fear at bay, the only way to not think about what was about to happen.

Some may say it was unhealthy, but it was better than sitting and thinking about the end.

Toni sat in their group, a cup of something-or-other in hand, drinking slowly. It was morning, the trio had hardly slept and were watching the sunrise of August Fifteenth.

"In three days we could be dead, or worse." Hummed the daughter of Hermes, sipping her cup.

She rested her head on Ethan's shoulder, trying not to compare him to the safety that Oliver radiated.

It was cruel how the brain worked.

Ethan wrapped an arm around Daphne, pulling her closer to his side. It wasn't a romantic gesture and neither of them saw it as that. He looked out to the ocean, watching the water shimmer in the morning light.

The daughter of Hermes felt as though a wound, that refused to close kept opening more, as she stared out into the sea. Percy.

"I'm willing to bet we will be dead," he said bluntly in response. "This isn't going to be a clean battle."

Sighing, Toni's eyes stayed on her cup as she swirled the alcohol inside of it. "I'm too sober for this."

"There's nothing stopping you from getting more," Ethan pointed out plainly, nodding towards the open alcohol station at the centre of the room.

Demigods were scattered all over the place, some passed out from being drunk and others still consuming the liquid like there was no tomorrow.

Of course for some of them there would be no tomorrow.