Static

XV

Horns blew, armour clashed together and screams echoed violently. Jason woke to the sound outside. He looked around, making sure he was still at camp. He dragged half out of bed- which, now thinking of it, Jason recalled as the sickbay. He was still in his Camp Jupiter T-shirt.
He ran outside and he saw what he expected, the whole of the camp was marching towards the hills.
     Jason remembered, vaguely, before he passed out. He was fighting a dragon- a multi-headed dragon- and he thought that sword swing killed it, most certainly. But judging from the campers marching towards the hills, that was not the case.
     He remembered someone say in his mind, This is your battle, Jason. This will shape your future. Then it occurred to him. He was destined to kill this monster, he remembered Juno saying something like that. But, he guessed these people didn't hear about it. He knew if one of them laid a sword, they would die instantly.
     He made sure his coin was in his pocket and ran out. He saw that some were already climbing the hills, which he thought was the first cohort. He knew if he didn't make it there in time, there would be no first cohort left, so he ran fast, faster than he ever was. But it wasn't fast enough, so he decided to fly instead, which was more efficient. He zoomed over the campers' heads. None of them noticed until he landed on the base of the hill.
     He shouted out to everyone, 'THIS IS MY FIGHT!' He turned to see the monster lunge at him.           He sidestepped and sliced his sword down the middle of its chest. 'I AM DESTINED TO DEFEAT IT!' He took off and stretch out for the back.
     It didn't take long for the first camper to help.
     'No!' Jason yelled. 'One touch and you're dead!'
     The camper stepped back, frightened.
     Jason felt like he was getting stronger. He swung his sword and it impaled itself right in the heart. That bought him enough time to look at the campers. None offered help, but they all stared at him like he was the most fascinating thing in the world.
     He asked, 'what?'
     He looked down to see he was glowing. Then he heard a voice inside his head. You got this son! Aim for the hearts!
     Jupiter? Is there more than one heart?
     Jupiter said, Yes, one head, one heart.
     So I need to go for the hearts? Jason asked.
     Yes, in the chest. If you aim for all the hearts at once, it'll kill it.
     Jason turned around to see everyone still staring at him. A different camper stepped forward and said, 'let me help!'
     Jason yelled in Jupiter's voice, 'You shall not, child! And you can not! I am your king, listen to me!'
     Then Jason flew down and started to run. When he got close to the chest, he turned his sword so it was pointing out to the side. He felt his gut wound throbbing. He knew this was his last attack. He ran faster. He ran past the dragon. For a few seconds, it did nothing. Then the dragon wailed in agony and fell to the ground. Just then, Jason realised that it's front two legs had grown back. The dragon reached out once more to attack, but he burst into ash before it could reach him.

Jupiter left Jason's body and ascended into his domain. Everyone but Frank, Jake and Clarisse left and went back to their cohorts.
     Frank walked up to him. 'What was that about?'
     'I don't know, Frank.' He admitted. 'I guess it was my fight. And I think Jupiter was trying to protect me.'
     'Maybe you should rest.' Frank said.
     Jason turned to face Frank. 'Nah, we'd better get going. The quest has a deadline, you know.'
     'I guess so.' Frank sounded gloomy. 'I guess, uh, I guess you should be on your way.'
     'Hey,' Jason encouraged. 'What's wrong?'
     Frank looked away. 'It's Reyna. She seems... Different.'
     Jason remembered when they were talking. 'Yeah. She acts differently than usual.'
     Jake and Clarisse stood impatiently, waiting for their quest mate to finish talking with the praetor. Jake started to say something, but Frank cut in.
     'Okay. You'd better go before your deadline ends.'
     Jason bit his lip. 'Yeah, I just remembered. We don't know where to go. Reyna said she is supposed to know, but doesn't.'
     Clarisse said, 'When?'
     'At breakfast when she pulled me away.'
     Jake suddenly seemed interested in his shoes. He kept looking down and kicking the back of his heel. Clarisse just stared at him, probably thinking, 'who is this kid?'
     'Jason!' Reyna shouted in the distance.
     He turned. He saw the same image when he first met her when he arrived. Trailing behind her, a red-feathered human bird- a harpy- and a cyclops.
     'Tyson! Ella!' Frank yelled. He turned towards them, completely ignoring Jason.
     'I found it!' Reyna said in between breaths. 'I found the next part of your quest.'
     Jason breathed a sigh of relief.
     'But Ella said she might know the full quest.' She admitted. She faced Ella.
     'Yes. Ella might have the full quest. Yes.'
     Tyson, a cyclops said, 'Yay, Ella! Ella is my girlfriend!'
     Everyone did that 'fake interested' look and returned to the main topic.
     'And what is it?' Jake finally seemed interested, and not in his shoes. 'I'm waiting.'
     'Right. Ella.' She gestured for Ella to start.
     'Right. Yes. The quest. Destroy the king. Don't know which king.'
     'O-okay.' Clarisse said. 'We have to destroy the king? Easy enough.'
     'Yeah, but we don't know which king. And it kind of makes sense. Halt in the path of this king's rage.' Jake said.
     'Yes. Ella said she doesn't know which king. It could be Zeus, or Kronos, or a king of Greece.' Jason said, reassuringly. 'And we must leave immediately.'
     'Right, go, or you can rest first.' Frank offered.
     'Let them be.' Reyna said. 'Jason knows what he's doing. Trust me.' Frank looked uneasy.
     Jason walked up to Reyna and told her, thank you. She told Jake and Clarisse to come and pack.
     'Thanks, guys, again.' Jason said.
     'Yeah. Camp Jupiter is cool!' Jake said. 'I didn't know there where adult demigods.'
     'At camp, Chiron told us we would die at 25 or so.' Clarisse said, unexpectedly.
     'Okay, bye.' Reyna waved goodbye.

They were halfway to the tunnel when a familiar voice said, 'Wait!'
     It was Dakota. He was carrying a backpack on his back.
     'I'm ready.' He told them.
     The three looked unsteady. Jason spoke up. 'What do you mean?'
     'No, what do you mean?' He asked.
     'I ask that to myself every day.' Jake muttered.
     Dakota continued. 'I'm coming with you. The coin you gave me. Bacchus wants me, doesn't he?'
     Jason looked at his shirt. 'Yeah.'
     'I need to come.'
     Clarisse said, 'can't you just go there by yourself?'
     'I don't know where he is.' He answered.
     'You Romans!' She said.
     Jason took a deep breathe, weighing his options. After about two minutes, he said, 'fine, come along. What do we have to lose?'
     Dakota smiled. 'Thank you so much, Jason.'
     'No problem. You're kind of my family.'
     'Your the best.'
     'Okay, can we go now?' Clarisse asked.'
     Jason looked at her and replied. 'Yes. Yes, we can.'