Maiden Grim | A Pjo Fanfic

Ch. 24: Avoiding Shenanigans (For Once)

The next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast.

Last night, at around three in the morning, an Aethiopian drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp. She missed out. At the time, Isra was preoccupied with watching all three hours of the camp's polite conduct tape as punishment for breaking curfew. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in their defenses, and it didn't seem anxious to go away until Lee Fletcher from Apollo's cabin led a couple of his siblings in pursuit. After a few frozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon's armor, it got the message and withdrew.

"It's still out there," Lee warned them during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. It's eyes-" he shuddered.

"You did well, Lee," Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before."

"Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves.

Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. Most of everyone expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when. It didn't help that attendance was down. People were worried if they'd have the numbers to take on a monster army.

"This is a good reason for new war games," Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."

"Yes..." Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods."

Isra raised hers and repeated the blessing halfheartedly, as everybody else echoed with more certainty.

She and her siblings stood up and walked to the bronze brazier. Isra scraped a portion of her flavorless oatmeal into the flames. Hardly comparable to the nectar and ambrosia immortals on Olympus feasted on.

It was the only thing she could find herself stomaching though.

Isra hesitated.

A month ago, she would be murmuring a vague prayer to her mother. Nowadays, Isra gifted her prayer to Hestia, even if the goddess received a godly tax on every offering. But given everything yesterday night...

She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Hera..." Isra said. Then she whispered, "Goddess of Motherhood and Family. I beseech you. There is...a lost child who needs help-Nico di Angelo. I know I owe you much already but if...if you can, help me help him. Please."

The flames seemed to flicker brighter-or it might've been the sleep-deprivation. Isra sighed and filed back to the Hermes' table.

She dug into her oatmeal, trying to ignore her mild migraine. Lou Ellen was telling her about a new poison recipe when Annabeth traipsed on over from the Athena table.

Isra lifted a questioning eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Come with me," she urged, looking over her shoulder.

Isra glanced in the same direction. It was Percy at the Poseidon table. Grover was sat across from him.

"Why?"

"We have to talk with Percy."

"At his table?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like you're afraid of breaking a few rules."

"True."

She shot a smile at her blinking half-siblings and stood. Annabeth and her walked over to the Poseidon table together.