Death's Son (And All Its Perks)

Chapter 26

Chiron looked at some of the most powerful campers wearily, looking each of them over to see if they knew anything. None of them seemed to know a thing, but most of them looked disturbed, including a certain son of Hades. Nico glared at the table with a look of hatred, his hands playing with his jackal pennant unknowingly. The pennant that Chiron had been watching for so long...

"So, what's this about?" Annabeth Chase spoke up, her gray eyes calculating. "What happened? It couldn't have been another prophesy, right?"

"No prophesies have been made since Apollo got over his punishment." Will reminded her. "And I think Rachel would have just told us if there had been one. Not in secret to Chiron."

"She hasn't been to camp since that one time you called her." Nico clarified. "I haven't felt her soul anywhere near here."

"What did you even call her here for?" Annabeth asked Will. "What was so important?"

Will glanced at Nico. "Um..."

"We wanted to know where Almaji came from, okay?" Nico snapped. "It wasn't anything important and you all can just forget about it."

"That's not why we're here." Chiron finally cut in. "As my strongest heroes, I'd appreciate it if you restrained from fighting."

He looked around at the silenced faces, his eyes remaining at Nico for a second longer than the others. "We have...a problem, to say the least. Last night, it was first noticed that the fleece is gone."

Every demigod in the room froze, not a word being spoken. It was something that had seemed impossible beforehand, but now the miracle was front and center as they all stared at Chiron with wide eyes and open mouths. The piece of news was random, something nobody had expected, and that almost beat the fact of how alarming it was. Who would ever have stolen the fleece? How hadn't they noticed?

"Excuse me?" Travis Stoll finally asked, glancing Chiron over for a sign that this was all some kind of prank. "What does that even mean for us?"

"Monsters will be able to get in," Annabeth answered, her face pale. "It'll be like a group of demigods in any other part of the world. Monsters will be drawn here so much, so frequently..."

"Who would have stolen it?" Will pipped in. "That's like... What would they need it for?"

"I don't think it matters." Nico rolled his eyes. "I doubt they're planning on giving it back when they're done with it."

Will elbowed him lightly. "You're the soul feeler. Have you felt anyone different around?"

"I haven't really been looking out since yesterday..." Nico admitted. "And no, I haven't. Everything has felt-" He paused for a moment, tilting his head as if he was listening to someone else. After a minute of this, he spoke normally, but Chiron could tell something had happened. "Whoever took the fleece didn't have to travel far into camp at all. It would have been right in the tree. I would have noticed if it was further in camp, but I wasn't really paying attention to the outskirts."

Everyone was silent, no doubt trying to think of how something so horrible had happened so randomly, so like it was nothing at all. Everything had been okay, the war was over, there wasn't a Great Prophesy, and even Apollo was out of trouble. But now things had gone downhill. Again.

"What are we going to do?" Annabeth asked, for the first time clueless. "Should...should we travel to Camp Jupiter until we can find it again?"

"That seems to be the wisest option," Chiron admitted. "I've contacted our Roman friends and they're welcome to us, and have offered assistance in the fleece's search."

Will let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods."

"If any of you know of where it could possibly be, now would be the time to speak up." Chiron continued, his eyes lingering on Nico again. "Anything could help, and we need that help, or there may be more deaths than we'd like to admit."

"Why would any of us know where it is?" Percy asked.

Nico tilted his head again, his eyes closed as he listened to something nobody else could hear.

"He's just being careful." Annabeth chided him. "Of course none of us know. The only ones that probably know are those who took it." She looked up at Chiron, frowning when she saw his eyes on Nico. "Was there any evidence of who it was?"

Chiron nodded, looking thoughtful. "Though it may come as a shock to many of you. By the tree that held the fleece, a necklace was found that resembled-"

"Some new Greek baddie that takes forever to kill?" Leo cut in. "Come onnnnn!"

"No," Chiron answered simply. "It wasn't anything Greek or Roman. It seemed to be a symbol of one of the Egyptian gods."

Annabeth's eyes widened, Percy put his head in his hands, and even Leo cast a fearful glance towards Nico. Nico himself still seemed to be out of the conversation, his chin resting on one hand and his eyes closed. Instead of a peaceful sleep, he seemed to be deep in thought and active listening. Not even noticing the sudden silence, he kept to himself in that manner.

"Nico," Will elbowed him. "Nico, are you paying attention?"

"Hm?" Nico snapped his eyes open. "What? What is it?"

"Chiron told us what was found." Will whispered to him. "It was Egyptian."

"Oh, Styx..." Nico cursed. He looked up at Chiron, opening his mouth to speak. He was cut off, however, by a camper running in, half in pajamas but covered in blood. He looked at the ones assembled there, speaking calmly but as if it was painful.

"Monsters...monsters got in...powerful monsters..." After he was finished speaking he collapsed, the wound in his back becoming visible. He was dead.

And then the screams started.