The Animal Within

Chapter 39 - The Grove of Dodona

The amazement of being on Mount Ida quickly grew old.

Hagno had said that Rhea's grove was at the base of the mountain, which in hindsight wasn't nearly as helpful as it had initially seemed. Mount Ida, while not the largest mountain, still covered a wide area and spending several hours hunting for a grove of trees within the forested surroundings was not what Jason had been anticipating.

When they had encircled the base of the mountain with entirely no sign of the Grove, Jason was just about ready to scream up at the sky and demand some assistance. Were it not for the eyes of Frank, whom had decided to turn into and eagle and hunt for the Grove from above, they would never have found it. Near-impossible to find from the ground, it seemed that the Grove was marked only by the taller oak trees which towered over all others – and was only particularly visible from the sky.

The Grove of Dodona didn't look like anything special, but Jason wasn't an expert on Ancient Groves. All of the trees seemed extremely old, and Jason could feel eyes on him as he stepped into their towering embrace.

"This is it?" Leo asked dubiously. "It just looks like any other grove we passed through."

"This is it," Piper confirmed. She hesitated before following after Jason. "It feels... old. Sad. Very different to the rest of the area." It was odd, having the ability to sense the trees. But Piper supposed that as a daughter of Aphrodite, emotions were within her abilities – even if those emotions came from ancient trees. She also doesn't miss the deep tawny coats of the dozen or so lions sprawled out in the shade of the grove, watching the demigods with sharp amber eyes.

"Rhea?" Jason called. He wasn't exactly sure how they were supposed to get the deity's attention. Hagno had mentioned a sacrifice, but they had very little they could sacrifice. Jason had brought along the Roman standard, and Frank still had Achilles' spear, but beyond that they had only their own weapons. And the standard wasn't even cooperating since Kronos had turned on them and taken Percy, the jaguar growing cold and still. The lion paced along the top of the golden standard, baring its teeth every time it eyed the jaguar.

"We need to sacrifice something," Piper said.

"But what?" Leo asked. "We need our weapons, and that standard – when it works – is useful."

"Something magical," Hazel suggested in the brief silence that descends. "It needs to be enough to get Rhea's attention. Something important."

Its Frank whom moves forward, taking Achilles' spear.

Jason gapes at him. "Achilles' spear? Frank, that's a priceless artifact of history."

"Which is exactly why we should sacrifice it," Frank said. "Besides, I prefer my bow. It's wasted on me." He hesitated briefly, before turning to Leo. "Can I have a fire?" He questioned warily.

Leo huffs, not liking burning the priceless spear any more than Jason, but he holds his hand out and summons a contained flame above his hand. Frank places the spear on the grass at their feet, and Leo sets the ancient weapon aflame.

Jason winces as he watches. For a weapon that had lasted thousands of years, its incinerated by the fire rather quickly. The flames eat away at the wooden shaft, the metal point glowing white-hot. The shaft breaks down, ash rising up into the air in a plume that arcs overhead as it catches with the wind.

"To Lady Rhea," Frank said.

Under the shadows of the giant trees, the lions grumble. The male stretches, spreading wide paws out before him as he yawns, revealing giant canines.

At the far end of the Grove the air shimmers as if a mirage. As the point of Achilles' spear melts into liquid metal, a woman forms from the shimmering air.