What is and what should never be

Chapter 3: We call in purple reenforcements

Rachel Elizabeth Dare saw me before I saw her. I had just walked into the cave of the oracle when I was crushed in a bright red, very fashionable hug, "Dakota you came back!" Rachel exclaimed, this made me confused, did she expect me to die? I cleared my throat. By the way Rachel Elizabeth Dare is the Camp Oracle, basically a fortune teller who can speak prophecies, she's pretty cool. Rachel actually was one of the only people I could be myself around if you ever saw her in person you'd know why, she stood in front of me with her red hair in a cheerleader ribbon, a blue lace tank dress, cut off jeans and white socks with no shoes, she was every much a full time weirdo just like me, "My dear oracle," I said formally, "I have a proposition for you," I put my bow behind my back and bowed slowly at the waist the same way I would as I approached Artemis. Rachel shifted her dress enough to sit down on the couch in her very decorative cave, "I want you to run," I said sternly. "What?" Rachel said concerned "take your family and run, get as far away from Manhattan as possible, by Monday it will be a war zone, nowhere will be safe, I want you as far away from the action as possible," Rachel studied me as if she understood "last time camp went into war and you showed up, it was reckless , stupid, and you could've gotten yourself killed, I want you to be safe," as if she were on fast forward, Rachel shot up and hugged me, "I know, good luck," she said before running around the cave to gather her belongings. I called this a job well done before running back to my cabin.
Cabin 13 Hades, was as clean as it was when I left it, that means immaculate, my brother Nico Di'Angelo was a bit of a clean freak, I felt terrible leaving my cabin because this may be the last time I ever saw it. But I didn't have time to worry, I grabbed my quiver and loaded it with Stygian iron arrows, pulled my poplar wood bow over my back and raced off to join the war council.
The meeting was held in the big house rec room which was filled with hundreds of old Greek artifacts that hadn't been seen in ages, Piper McLean had put her hair into a ponytail and was leaning over the planning table arguing with Connor Stoll and Leo Valdez over battle plans. Around them were the cabins for Apollo, Athena, Demeter, Hecate, Hephaestus and Ares and I could barely hear anything over the Ares cabin screaming. I put both my hands up in shock and turned to Rowan pepper a son of Hebe who was being bodyguarded by their head counselor Paolo Montes, "what's going on?" I asked, "It's our cabin! If you don't like it you can kiss my quiver!" Snapped Will Solace both head counselor for Apollo and Nico's boyfriend "if you don't like it you know the solution!" Snapped Piper "don't come! You don't fight anyway!" I was going to ask what the fuss was about until Will said "if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one who lost a sibling in the war," I looked puzzled, "Silena didn't die for this, I didn't meet her but I will defend her honor till the day I die!" Snapped Piper who turned on her heel. "You can fight this war without Aphrodite, until you can learn to Apologize no one in my cabin is lifting a finger!" She stormed off in a rage, I looked around at all the stunned Campers, "what just happened I asked?" Everyone took a step back "Ms. McLean is not exactly happy after Will stated that the Aphrodite cabin should stay back at Camp," Chiron told me resting his hand on my shoulder, "why?" I asked, "I wanted to keep her safe, I don't want us to lose another loyal fighter, this won't be easy and I was trying to be understanding, we already lost Jason if we lose Piper half of our Heroes are gone," Will added, "she called him out by saying Apollo should sit the war out, they did not that, and it got ugly," this I could understand. Will was just trying to be protective and kind, but Piper didn't like being seen as useless and the Apollo kids were the second greatest archers at camp without them we we're shot thirty great archers. and that would be even worse if the Hunters didn't show up, I was actually considering that as I hadn't heard a peep from Artemis or any of our lieutenants for the past month. I wasn't going to worry now we had bigger problems. Chiron cleared his throat "campers I hate that it has come to this but you must know what we will be facing as you know you must understand your enemy," he filled a lemonade pitcher with water and dumped it over a hot plate In the kitchen area. At that moment what I saw shocked us all, their Was a giant Volcanic monster storming across the US. Leaving nothing but destruction and chaos in its path. Car alarms were going off everywhere, the sky was covered with storm clouds, roads split in two with racks from earthquakes, "What. Is. That?!" Annabeth said in complete terror. "The giants, sons of Gaia, giant personifications of the elements, with all the gods checked out, the giants have been destroying everything they can," I said with shock, Chiron waved Away the steam and everyone exchanged worried looks. I was thinking of another problem, Nico. He and his sister Bianca ran away from camp three weeks ago, they said they were going to get more numbers, but they hadn't returned since, I wondered who they were looking for and why that took so long, if Nico wanted skeleton warriors he could just conjure them from the ground. "That's Impossible!" Shouted Malcolm Pace, son of Athena "how do a bunch of teary eyed monsters control the giants? What do they want with them?" Suddenly a gold dagger soared through the air and almost hit my face I turned away just in time for it to hit the wall next to my ear, "Tiz a lie!" A voice shouted "They do not answer the monsters, they are Chasing us, they know we are working with you!" The voice had a slight Spanish accent with a serious tone. Everyone in camp turned around in shock and our faces lit up.
Charging into the gates of Camp, was an entire Roman legion in full centurion Armor, their numbers had to be in the hundreds, and in the lead charging forward was a brown Pegasus, peanut butter colored. And sitting on her back was my simultaneously most and least favorite female demigod.
She wore a long purple Roman style dress, decorated with gold, gold lace up sandals, and she had gold jewelry everywhere, on her body and her hair pulled back in a long black braid, she had two silver and gold greyhound dogs walking alongside her like bodyguards, she wore a long grey silk peplos cloak across her shoulders pinned at her neck by a broach. "I am Reyna Avila Ramírez Arellano, Daughter of Bellona, Praetor of Camp Jupiter, and Loyal friend and ally of Camp half-blood," we were incredibly excited to see our old friends from camp Jupiter again, but that wasn't who I was looking for I was still worried. As if the gods had read my mind I jumped as I saw a giant golden winged Lion! Soaring overhead, and their were two demigods on its back, one of which was a young African American girl, no older than fifteen, with bushy golden brown hair, skin the color of hot cocoa and warm gold eyes, like actually gold eyes. She had a gold sword sheathed at her belt and wore a purple blouse over a pair of black jeans and beige combat boots. "Hazel!" Will shrieked with excitement, and every demigod ran out from the big house and started Flagging down the flying creature, as it dove for a landing caught a glimpse of another figure clinging to Hazel, he wore a helmet so I couldn't see his face.
The lion landed on the grass and Hazel leaped off stunt girl style and ran into the biggest group hug I've ever been part of, we all turned around to meet the other flyer of air lion, he wore black goth style boots, black jeans, a black t-shirt with an illustration of a skeleton hand reaching out of the dirt to hold a single red rose, with a black bombers jacket over it, as he pulled off his skeletal pith helmet, me and Will both practically had heart attacks. "Nico!" I screamed in delight and crushed my baby brother in two seconds flat, he immediately hugged me back, i buried my face in his neck and breathed in. He smelled like the Roman Bath's pomegranate shampoo, sulfur and Italian leather, I always remember that smell, it caused many a camper to scream at him to take a shower, even if he just took one. I was a child of Hades also so I was used to the smell. We finished hugging, and I had to untangle his hair from my glasses, but I was so happy to see him again "Nico! Baby!" Will tore through the crowd and crushed Nico in a hug, knocking the wind out of him, they both hit the grass. "Owe!" Nico winced as will practically smushed him, before kissing his forehead and getting back up noticing everyone Camp was watching. "Where have you been!" I demanded, Nico chuckled "said said, getting us more people on our side, to fight the Rebels, If course Hazel was over the moon," he added. I smiled and chuckled, "well I'm so happy you came, speaking of which where's Frank?" Hazel turned and whistled, suddenly the lion they rode in on shifted into something else, a four feet tall pudgy Chinese boy with a Bruce lee cut, dressed in a purple tee, blue jeans and navy blue high tops, he carried a bow and quiver on his back, and I ran to him in excitement. "Frank!" I shouted, before he crushed all of us in a hug. Me, Hazel, Nico and frank all felt like we were being smothered by a baby panda 🐼
Which was exactly what frank was. He was sweet, loving, cute, cuddly and a shapeshifter who loves food, I could relate to that. Their were hugs and greetings all around, except Reyna who we all knew didn't like to be touched, I cleared my throat "listen, I need to talk to you," I said resting my hand on Nico's arm, "you too, I told Hazel and Frank," and walked them back to the Hades Cabin.
Me and Nico sat on his black silk canopy bed, while Hazel and frank sat on the sofa, I gathered all my courage, I breathed out sharply before I spoke "I know you're Joining the Rebels," I said sternly, "what? Where do you get that idea?" I looked at him with concerned eyes "you're a monster, she's a monster, he's a shapeshifter, these are your people right?" Nico looked Shocked "Olympus, is our people, our home our blood, we won't be sacrificing all the people that matter for a bunch of sheltered squids," Nico took my arm and smiled. "Frank held up his hand In salute "born a demigod, die a demigod," I instantly felt better, I turned over my wrist and noticed the words on my wrist Once a Hunter always a hunter. Artemis had written that, I understood loyalty, "where's Bianca?!" I demanded, "Hades kingdom, she's helping father on his side of the battle like it or not if Olympus falls so does he," I sighed with pure relief. "Anything else we need to get on?" Nico added "find a shadow Nico, set course for Brooklyn house, let's go recruit some Egyptian magicians," and we all took off out of cabin 13.