I
I
As Rachel Dare, Tyson, and Ella the Harpy went to Camp Jupiter to restore the Sybiline books for the past weeks. Reyna welcomed them as the Romans got back to their usual training at the legion. They somehow manage to fill up to two pages with prophecies that is likely to happen in their lifetime. Disappointed that the Oracle of Delphi hasn’t come back yet, Rachel felt useless as she couldn’t help in restoring the books. Reyna somehow manage to cheer her up as she introduced her to the legion as they repair the temples and shrines for the gods.
For the meantime, Rachel became the unofficial Augur of Camp Jupiter as their former Augur, Octavian, died ‘trying to save Rome’. Rachel took the liberty to enter Octavian’s old ‘office’, in which was filled with decapitated stuffed animals. If Rachel thinks that he’s a creep before now she’s positive that the guy had something going on in his head. Both her and Tyson took some adjusting as they stayed their while Ella the Harpy, just dashed to the nearest library hungry for books.
Dinner came and the whole mess hall was filled with Campers interacting. Even though she has stayed there for weeks, Rachel still felt out of place, she’s already sticking out like sore thump with her frizzy red hair and paint covered shirt even though she hasn’t manage to touch paint in the past weeks.
The campers started chanting and singing random songs from a Taylor Swift album as the dinner continued. Rachel and Reyna were conversing while Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque sat opposite of them at the table. Fauns were stealing and snatching silverware from the table across them as Lares wander through the crowed. Rachel suddenly felt a tug in her mind like it was trying to break free, the last thing that she saw was Tyson chomping down his food.
‘To the land that Hecate blessed,
Up the hill where a fortress rest.
A hidden gem in castle walls,
A crowed must answer to a demigods calls.
Blades and wands must be one,
As darkness take over the sun.
Waves of fire the land may falter,
To victory may tower at the dark lords’ altar.
To the flame the goblet will breathe,
A dying wish one must bequeath.
As a champions of ones’ house will rise,
Ends of challenges a soul meets their demise.
A child that has vanished will return at last,
To restore a vow that’s lost in the past.’
As she finished the whole crowed of demigods stare in a mixture of shock, disbelief, and amazement. They couldn’t believe that the Oracle of Delphi has returned. Not even a few months had passed since the last war that another prophecy has been made.
The campers were still in a state of shock, not until Ella spoke, “ Yes! Yes wands, castle, magic! I read somewhere…. Many magic people!” every eyes stared at the harpy waiting for her to explain.
“Wait, isn’t it too soon to go to another quest?” a guy from the third cohort said. Almost everybody agreed, the war with Gaea had just recently ended then why would they go to another quest. They aren’t even sure if the prophecy will happen soon, but the idea of it scares the campers.
Now over her shock, Reyna looked at her legion and calmly stated. “Everybody silence! We must think this through, there is no certain on when the prophecy will begin.” She paused for a brief moment, thinking her words carefully. “I first must consult Chiron of this matter, Rachel is still part of Camp Half-blood. We shall speak of this later.”
As she took Rachel out of the Mess hall, along with Ella the Harpy. After leaving, the chatter began to rise. Dozens of questions were passed through the crowed as the events that occurred still lingered. Frank, being a Preator decided to crack the ice. “Now everyone why don’t we go back to what we were doing and ignore the recent events. Reyna did say that we’ll talk about this later.” Then the campers disperse as they returned to their respective quarters, forgetting their meal.
As Reyna, Ella and an unconscious Rachel arrived at the Principia, they immediately made an Iris message and contacted Chiron. The image of a man in his late fifties answered, furrowing his brows at the unexpected call. When he saw the distress look that Reyna is wearing, he knew something out of the ordinary happened.
“Reyna, I assumed that something had happened at Camp Jupiter?” Just as he asked that he saw Rachel unconscious on a nearby couch, with Ella by her side. Her freckles more visible as her face had paled. “ I would like to know on what had happened to Rachel here.” He told Reyna through the IM.
Reyna explained what had happened during dinner at the mess hall earlier, she recited the prophecy with the help of Ella, the more she recited the more furrowed Chiron’s brows got. She thought that Chiron knows what it’s about by the way he reacted. Is this another Great prophecy? That question still lingered in her mind since Rachel collapsed, they had recently fought in a war, She was sure that the still don’t have the energy to fight yet another one.
“Preator, I request a meeting here at Camp Half-Blood the day after tomorrow regarding that of the prophecy. I advice you to bring some of your most trusted warriors in the Legion.” Chiron stated, “and I hope that the demigods their at Camp Jupiter aren’t panicking, I assure you that this isn’t a prophecy about an incoming war.” And just like that the Iris message ended.
Reyna turned back to Rachel just in time for the latter to regain consciousness. Ella kept fluttering up and about when she saw that Rachel was awake. Minutes later Tyson came in the room not after bumping his head at the door frame. Rachel sat up and mummer some words that Reyna can’t quite catch.
“Oh gods, what happened to me?” Rachel finally said, “Damn my head hurts like hell.” She kept massaging her temples as she looked up to eyes watching her.
“ You just recited a prophecy, that means that the Oracle must have returned.” Reyna stated , and Hazel and Frank came in the room seconds later. “ There must some meaning behind the oracle returning so suddenly.”
Rachel looked around and briefly closed her eyes, “When I was passed out, I had a vision of someone.” She started. “I couldn’t see her face but I was sure that it was a goddess cause of the aura she gives off. And then the vision changed to a boy, not older than 14, I think. I couldn’t see his face clearly but a single scar stands out, just up his forehead, shaped like a lightning bolt. And the vision disappeared just as I woke up.” She finished her story. Hazel thinks that there’s a possibility that it was Hecate that Rachel saw, just as the prophecy states that there was a land that the goddess of magic blessed. The mention of a lightning bolt scar didn’t settle well with them. They think it’s another one of Zeus’s spawns.
The six of them continued their discussion and made guesses on what the prophecy was about just as the night falls deep.