The Daughter of War and Medicine

The three of them stormed out of the house in the pouring rain, leaving Midas to his fate.

"What now?" asked Kassandra, using Piper as an umbrella.

Jason looked up into the morning sky.

"That trail is still there, we should keep on following it."

Kassy and Hedge stared up in the same direction as Jason was, except they couldn't see what he was seeing. They must have looked pretty stupid.

"Just a couple little problems there sky boy; we now lack the dragon and two members of your quest are currently encased in gold."

The son of Jupiter tapped his foot and began to lean on his pilum. What could they do?

A light bulb seemed to appear over Jason's head as they stood in the rain. He crouched down and slung Piper's bag off of his shoulder. His hand drifted down to the zipper, and Kassandra rushed forwards, catching his hand in hers.

"The storm spirits!" she reminded him. "We don't know if they still want to, you know." She gestured to slicing her neck.

"I know, but I've got a plan."

Makes a change from Percy. When he was still around for her first few weeks of camp he'd have the most sporadic ideas and random ideas like for everyone to go midnight swimming or to play tag in the forest.

Jason cautiously and slowly peeled back the zipper, and the second there was some sort of gap, there was a rush of wind that blasted from inside. Kassandra could see the forms of several wind spirits clambering out, howling with freedom.

However, before they could fully escape from the bag, blondie extended a hand and the spirits froze. Jason looked uncertain of what to do next, as if he hadn't planned this far. She took it back, Jason was like Percy. Maybe she could...

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she whispered words of courage to him and that strange inspire effect seemed to take place. He broadened his chest and stood taller, an authoritative presence.

"Venti, as son of Jupiter you are commanded to serve me," he boomed.

The venti snarled at him, attempting to break from his iron grip.

"Listen to him," hissed Kassandra, still with her hand on Jason's shoulder. This was really taking a toll on her, she could feel the energy just being sapped from her body with each word. Hedge cracked his nuckles and beat his cudgel on the ground.

"We... do not... serve you... son of Jupiter," said one of the venti weakly, his will crumbling.

The daughter of (Y/N) gritted her teeth. Just one more burst of strength- that's all she needed. Her eyes momentarily flared gold, and the power transfer from the goddess to the demi-god was enough for the girl to collapse on the ground.

She rose to howling winds and the crackling of flames. When she sat up, she hit her head.

"Rise and shine princess!" yelled an over-the-top satyr right into her ear. She winced.

"Hello to you too," she muttered, cold wind stroking her back through the holes in her shirt. "So I assume the storm spirit thing worked?"

Jason, Piper and Leo, who were now no longer golden statues, sat around a campfire which had a skillet on it and was frying burgers. They were all sat in some sort of cave, and even though she couldn't see it she could tell there was a storm raging outside.

"So, what have I missed?" she asked, sitting up and stretching out.

"Leo was telling us about a dream with his father," said Piper, looking at the son of Hephaestus with curiosity.

"Really? Pray tell."

Leo stared at the fire for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought, before he began to speak.

"I was in his forge, and he started talking to me about my mo- siblings in the Hephaestus cabin. He said that since Zeus had closed the gates of Olympus, he was contacting me with some sort of illegal pirate broadcasting thing. But anyway, according to him Zeus closed the gates as part of a punishment almost. He mentioned the second titan war, talking about Percy Jackson and (Y/N). He was vague when he talked about your father..."

Gods, what was there to hide from her!

"But importantly, he said that gods and demi-gods have to work together to kill giants. They're a different breed according to him, and Hera's doing something that's ticking off the Olympians."

She was pretty sure there was something else, but Leo stopped there.

Piper snuggled into Jason's arms, something she had always wanted to try. Not with a guy, but that's besides the point. "I don't understand. If demigods and gods have to work together to kill the giants, why would the gods stay silent? If they need us-"

"Ha," said Coach Hedge. "The gods despise needing humans. They like to be needed by humans, but not the other way around. Things will have to get a whole lot worse before Zeus admits he made a mistake closing Olympus."

"Coach," Piper said, "that was almost an intelligent comment."

Hedge huffed. "What? I'm intelligent! I'm not surprised you cupcakes haven't heard of the Giant War. The gods don't like to talk about it. Bad PR to admit you needed mortals to help beat an enemy. That's just embarrassing."

"There's more, though," Jason said. "When I dreamed about Hera in her cage, she said Zeus was acting unusually paranoid. And Hera- she said she went to those ruins because a voice had been speaking in her head. What if someone's influencing the gods, like Medea influenced us?"

Leo set hamburger buns on the skillet to toast. "Yeah, Hephaestus said something similar, like Zeus was acting weirder than usual. But what bothered me was the stuff my dad didn't say. Like a couple of times he was talking about the demigods, and how he had so many kids and all. I don't know. He acted like getting the greatest demigods together was going to be almost impossible—like Hera was trying, but it was a really stupid thing to do, and there was some secret Hephaestus wasn't supposed to tell me."

"Chiron was the same way back at camp," he said. "He mentioned a sacred oath not to discuss-something. Coach,you know anything about that?"

"Nah. I'm just a satyr. They don't tell us the juicy stuff.Especially an old-" He stopped himself.

"An old guy like you?" Piper asked. "But you're not that old,are you?"

"Hundred and six," the coach muttered.Leo coughed. "Say what?"

"Don't catch your panties on fire, Valdez. That's just fifty three in human years. Still, yeah, I made some enemies on the Council of Cloven Elders. I've been a protector a long time. But they started saying I was getting unpredictable. Too violent.Can you imagine?"

"Wow." Piper tried not to look at her friends.

"That's hard to believe," joked Kassandra, but Hedge must've thought she was being serious.

Coach scowled. "Yeah, then finally we get a good war going with the Titans, and do they put me on the front lines?No! They send me as far away as possible-the Canadian frontier, can you believe it? Then after the war, they put me out to pasture. The Wilderness School. Bah! Like I'm too old to be helpful just because I like playing offence. All those flower pickers on the Council-talking about nature."

"Well you had that one time when you came down to camp now that I remember it."

"Sure, just for a couple of minutes with some elders and then straight back off to the forests and fields."

"I thought satyrs liked nature," Piper ventured.

"Shoot, I love nature," Hedge said. "Nature means big things killing and eating little things! And when you're a- you know- vertically challenged satyr like me, you get in good shape, you carry a big stick, and you don't take nothing from no one! That's nature." Hedge snorted indignantly. "Flower pickers. Anyway, I hope you got something vegetarian cooking, Valdez. I don't do flesh."

"Yeah, Coach. Don't eat your cudgel. I got some tofu patties here. Piper's a vegetarian too. I'll throw them on in a second."

Kassandra stared into the fire, playing with the tip of her knife to pick out dirt from under her nails.

"I'll be back, eat without me," she said, standing up as if she were in a trance.

"Where are you going?" asked Jason.

"Just outside."

And she wandered out, much to the confusion of everyone in the cave.

The storm raged on with all its might as Kassandra began a slow walk. She needed some clarity, space to breathe even more so than she already had.

The daughter of (Y/N) marched down a narrow mountain path, her winged sandals somehow remaining clean as she walked through mud and dirt. Snow battered her, but the bare trees that loomed over her brought some protection.

The rain whipped her skin and wind lashed her hair, but she couldn't feel that. She was too enveloped in her thoughts. Like earlier though, she just needed to think more straightforwardly.

So first thing's first, prophecy.

She was the daughter of Rome, she had aided the three who may dare fight giants if what they just said was true, she had met the sovereign of monsters who she now knew controlled fallen beasts. She had pretty much completed the prophecy. All that was left were those who planted the tree.

Kassandra came to a small opening where a stream of water rushed down the mountainside. It was surreal, a beautiful sight in the wilderness. She sat down on a mossy rock to think and admire the views. The idea of living somewhere so secluded was so romanticised to her.

What tree? Was it something physical or a metaphor? Why does it matter who planted it? And how the hell was she supposed to find it without some sort of description. Oak? Acacia? Aspen?

"That is the girl you love, is it not?" spoke a voice from behind her. Yet when she turned, there was no one.

"A powerful motivator, love is," spoke the voice again, "Just be careful you do not obsess over it. Love has led many to the pyre."

"Who speaks?" she demanded, snapping upwards from her sitting spot.

"A friend," the voice whispered back, the sound of the person travelling through the trees.

"I know my friends, so I ask you again, who speaks?"

Suddenly, in front of her the wind and snow seemed to gather and take form. It rose from the ground in a miniature tornado until eventually it dissipated, leaving... a soldier? An ancient one at that.

The first thing that hit her was the gleam from his helm, she shielded her eyes just before it blinded her. When she got over that, the next thing became apparent. This soldier wasn't alive. His skin was pale and she could almost see through him and his armour. In one hand he held a sword, it shone like his helm.

His face hidden, the most she could make out was a beard and muscular physique. Was this the guy from back at Midas' place? At the last moment, it clicked who this was. Kassandra had heard of him in legend, in paintings and written in the history books. The scourge of the Greeks, he of the gleaming helm, greatest of his people.

"I am Hector, son of Priam and prince of Troy."

"Hector," Kassandra whispered, her breath visible in the freezing cold air.

"Yes. And you must be the daughter of (Y/N) and Bellona, Kassandra." The Trojan dropped to one knee and bent his head in respect.

"Please, no need for formalities," said the goddess, offering a hand.

He stood, but didn't take her hand. "I must give respect to any goddess m'lady. To honour the gods is a base of all our lives."

She blushed scarlet. Her heart belonged to Aspen, but receiving such praise for the first time was something else. She could understand how it could get to a person's head.

"If any respect should be given it should be I to you. I am a new god, yet you... you lead your people against invaders for ten years when many Olympians were out to get you personally."

"Perhaps, then the feeling is mutual."

She looked around for any other ghosts or spirits to rise, but it was just them.

"So, what can I do for you? Are you one of the spirits to escape the Underworld?"

Hector shook his head and took his helmet from his head. He revealed a ruggedly handsome face, bearded and well defined. He shook his hair as if he hadn't taken the thing off in centuries. Then again, he might not have for all she knew. He looked just like in the art...

"If anything m'lady, it is what I can do for you. And no, I am not an escapee. I am sent here by Lord Hades himself."

Kassandra's voice caught in her throat. What did the king of the Underworld want to do with her?

"What... what business does he have sending you my way?" she squeaked out. If she fought with Hector, she could almost guarantee losing the duel. The prince of Troy could only be matched by Achilles himself according to legend.

"Well, I wasn't told everything by the Lord of the House, but he referred to me as more of a gift when he was talking to Persephone. Something about making up for millennia worth of arguing. Anyway, he told me to find you-"

"Sorry, when was this?" she asked out of curiosity.

Now the Trojan went a little red, but she could see embarrassment within him.

"Well ma'am, I will admit it was... 6 months ago," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh really?" she giggled, covering her face, "And what took you so long?"

Hector implanted his sword in the ground and scratched his head.

"Well I'll admit, it's been a while since I've lived in the mortal world. I got distracted a couple times and that camp of yours has some strong borders. I had to wait for you to leave, but didn't expect you to just teleport away. So tracking has been an issue."

"Well here you are. So sorry, what's your duty prince of Troy?"

"As put by Hades, and I quote, 'to serve the young goddess Kassandra and assist in her many quests to come.' At least, that's what I can remember."

"Quests? Like multiple?"

"All I know is I am now to serve you until you complete your quests. Whenever that is we will find out."

She stroked her chin and paced up and down the clearing. Aphrodite had done something with Aspen, Hermes was gifting her shoes and delivering private messages in person and now Hades was providing her with the THE prince Hector to serve her. Something seemed off.

Eventually she stamped her foot into the ground and spun back to face the Trojan.

"Well then, we should return to the others."

"Others?" said Hector surprised, "I don't think that's the best idea."

"And why not?"

"For Lord Hades to purposefully send out a spirit like myself he breaks many Olympian rules set in place by his brothers. So perhaps it would be a better course of action for my presence to be concealed for now."

Kassandra took a sharp breath in.

"Any suggestions then?"

Hector shook his head before drawing his sword from the ground and sheathing it, along with putting his helmet back on.

Now there was an idea.

Putting her hands out and interloping her fingers, she weaved energy in fluidity like she never had before. Her design was intricate and as she worked she hummed a Roman lullaby she knew from her mother. Soon enough, she had what she wanted.

A crown of sorts, more of a tiara with a plain design apart from the centre which held a golden circle with the design of a helmet on it. The same helmet Hector wore.

"Now, I've heard of spirits possessing objects before, so I was thinking you just hide up here for now."

"If that is what you wish m'lady," said Hector, bowing. Then, he evaporated into mist before she could feel the tiara's weight increase.

"Can you hear me?" whispered a voice inside her mind.

"Hector?" she mentally responded.

"Yes. Hopefully this isn't an invasion of privacy, I'm able to communicate with you whilst possessing this tiara for some odd reason."

Well, the tiara was made of her essence so it sort of made sense.

"Well it's difficult to explain to explain but you're inside of me..."

She stopped speaking there. She really should have phrased that better. Hector must have thought the same for he too went deathly quiet. Kassandra coughed to clear the air.

"Well then, prepare to meet the strangest group of questers you've ever seen," she awkwardly joked aloud as she began a walk back to the cave.

When she was just outside the entrance she could hear four of them eating. She readjusted the tiara and straightened herself up before re-entering.

"Ahh, back from your walk. With a new accessory?" asked Leo as he bit down into the last chunks of a burger.

"Yeah, just something I picked up whilst out, nothing special. Good food?" she responded, trying to move the conversation on.

"The best," said Leo, trying his best to speak through a mouth full of food, "Chef Leo always delivers!"

Kassandra swayed in and sat down in a free spot.

"Hmm, these are an... interesting group," said Hector, with no one but her hearing.

"You should see them when they're in action, I'm sure they could give you a run for your drachma."

Hector laughed before going silent.

Kassandra sat there in silence with the others, soaking up the warmth of the fire. The calmness was almost as nice as when she was outdoors.

"We need to talk." Said Piper, sitting up all of a sudden. "I don't want to hide anything from you guys anymore."

"Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip," she said, "I had a dream vision- a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed."

The flames crackled.

Finally Jason said, "Enceladus? You mentioned that name before."

Coach Hedge whistled. "Big giant. Breathes fire. Not somebody I'd want barbecuing my daddy goat."

Jason gave him a shut up look. "Piper, go on. What happened next?"

"I- I tried to reach my dad, but all I got was his personal assistant, and she told me not to worry."

"Jane?" Leo remembered. "Didn't Medea say something about controlling her?"

Piper nodded. "To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn't realise it would be the three of us, and you," she sobbed, gesturing to Kassandra. "Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: He told me he wanted you two dead and Kassandra in chains. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don't know exactly which one, but it's in the Bay Area- I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice, tomorrow. An exchange."

Well damn. Kassandra didn't like the sound of being chained up if it wasn't for Aspen.

"We should exile her-" started Hector, Kassandra quickly cutting him off.

"No! It's clear she's stressed and got a lot on her, times have changed! We don't go around killing for no reason anymore."

Jason scooted next to the daughter of love and put his arm around her again.

"God, Piper. I'm so sorry."

Leo nodded. "No kidding. You've been carrying this around for a week? Piper, we could help you."

She glared at them. "Why don't you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!"

"Aw, come on," Jason said. "You've saved us both on this quest. I'd put my life in your hands any day."

"Same," Leo said. "Can I have a hug too?"

"You don't get it!" Piper said. "I've probably just killed my dad, telling you this."

"I doubt it." Coach Hedge belched. He was eating his tofu burger folded inside the paper plate, chewing it all like a taco."Giant hasn't gotten what he wants yet, so he still needs your dad for leverage. He'll wait until the deadline passes, see if you show up. He wants you to divert the quest to this mountain,right?"

Piper nodded uncertainly."So that means Hera is being kept somewhere else,"Hedge reasoned. "And she has to be saved by the same day.So you have to choose—rescue your dad, or rescue Hera. If you go after Hera, then Enceladus takes care of your dad.Besides, Enceladus would never let you go even if you cooperated. You're obviously one of the seven in the Great Prophecy."

"So we have no choice," she said miserably. "We have to save Hera, or the giant king gets unleashed. That's our quest.The world depends on it. And Enceladus seems to have ways of watching me. He isn't stupid. He'll know if we change course and go the wrong way. He'll kill my dad."

"He's not going to kill your dad," Leo said. "We'll save him."

"We don't have time!" Piper cried. "Besides, it's a trap."

"We're your friends, beauty queen," Leo said. "We're not going to let your dad die. We just gotta figure out a plan."

Coach Hedge grumbled. "Would help if we knew where this mountain was. Maybe Aeolus can tell you that. The Bay Area has a bad reputation for demigods. Old home of the Titans, Mount Othrys, sits over Mount Tam, where Atlas holds up the sky. I hope that's not the mountain you saw."

"I don't think so. This was inland."

Jason frowned at the fire, like he was trying to remember something."Bad reputation... that doesn't seem right. The Bay Area..."

"You think you've been there?" Piper asked.

"I..." He looked like he was almost on the edge of a breakthrough. Then the anguish came back into his eyes. "I don't know. Hedge, what happened to Mount Othrys?"

Hedge took another bite of paper and burger. "Well,Kronos built a new palace there last summer. Big nasty place,was going to be the headquarters for his new kingdom and all. Weren't any battles there, though. Kronos marched on Manhattan, tried to take Olympus. If I remember right, he left some other Titans in charge of his palace, but after Kronos got defeated in Manhattan, the whole palace just crumbled on its own."

"No," Jason said.Everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean, 'No'?" Leo asked.

"That's not what happened. I-"

Of course that's not what happened. Her mother was there with the Romans who besieged the place. It was after that battle she hadn't seen Bellona since.

He tensed, looking toward the cave entrance. "Did you hear that?"

For a second, nothing. Then Kassandra heard it: howls piercing the night. She could feel an ancient presence.

"Everyone, stay here," she ordered, speaking for the first time since entering the cave and drawing her bow.

"But-" began Jason.

"I said stay!" she ordered, her eyes flaring gold.

She moved with silence towards the entrance, hugging the cave wall as she went. When she got to the entrance, a wolf lunged forwards from the darkness. Without hesitation, she released her shot and killed the beast in an instant. Its dead body sailed past her.

"Ostendite vos!" (show yourself) she called out.

From the entrance though, more wolves came forwards- black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleamed, and their glowing red eyes looked disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front was almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he'd just made a fresh kill.

Kassandra and the wolves stood as a stand off, neither party eager to attack the other. But then Jason stood up from behind her and stepped forwards. The daughter of Bellona didn't even notice before he said something in Latin. The words seemed... fuzzy almost.

The wolves must have understood though as their leader curled his lip. The fur stood up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tried to advance, but he snapped at his ear. The leader looked past her and at the body of his dead friend. He bared his fangs at her. Then all of the wolves backed into the dark.

"Dude, I gotta study Latin." Leo's hammer shook in his hand. "What'd you say, Jason?"

Hedge cursed. "Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Look."

The wolves were coming back, but the alpha wolf wasn't with them. They didn't attack. They waited- at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit.

The coach hefted his club. "Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape."

"Coach, they'll rip you apart," Piper said.

"Nah, I'm good."

"I admire your bravery Hedge, but these aren't just any wolves," said Kassandra, glancing back at the body of the one she had shot.

Through the darkness there was now a man advancing through the storm, wading through the pack.

"Stick together," Jason said. "They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind."

The wolves parted, and the man stepped into the firelight.His hair was greasy and ragged, the colour of fireplace soot,topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur- wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others Kassandra could identify from her time in the hunters. The furs didn't look cured, and from the smell, they weren't very fresh.

His frame was lithe and muscular, like a distance runner's. But the most horrible thing was his face. His thin pale skin was pulled tight over his skull. His teeth were sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red like his wolves'- and they seemed to fix on Jason with absolute hatred.

"Ecce," he said, "filli Romani."

"Speak English, wolf man!" Hedge bellowed.

The wolf man snarled. "Tell your faun to mind his tongue,son of Rome. Or he'll be my first snack."

"The faun," said Kassandra, "Will be no ones snack today."

The wolf man studied their little group. His nostrils twitched.

"So it's true," he mused. "A child of Aphrodite. A son of Hephaestus. A faun. A child of Rome, of Lord Jupiter, no less. And a goddess no older than half a year. All together, without killing each other. How interesting."

"You were told about us?" Jason asked. "By whom?"

The man snarled- perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge.

"Oh, we've been patrolling for you all across the west,demigod, hoping we'd be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry."

The wolves snarled in the darkness.

"Leave," Jason ordered. "There's no food for you here."

"Unless you want tofu burgers," Leo offered.

Lycaon bared his fangs. Apparently he wasn't a tofu fan.

"If I had my way," Lycaon said with regret, "I'd kill you first,son of Jupiter. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Arcadia, with fifty fine sons, and Zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts."

"Ha," Coach Hedge said. "For good reason!"

Jason glanced over his shoulder. "Coach, you know this clown?"

"I do," Piper answered.

"Lycaon invited Zeus to dinner," she said. "But the king wasn't sure it was really Zeus. So to test his powers, Lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. Zeus got outraged-"

"And killed my sons!" Lycaon howled. The wolves behind him howled too.

"So Zeus turned him into a wolf," Piper said. "They call... they call werewolves lycanthropes, named after him, the first werewolf."

"The king of wolves," Coach Hedge finished. "An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt."

Lycaon growled. "I will tear you apart, faun! And you!" he turned to Kassandra, "You dare strike down one of my own children!"

"Tell your children to control themselves. Filthy animals," she mocked.

"Bring me out m'lady," said Hector, "And I shall put this foul beast where he belongs."

"Not just yet prince," she responded, "Whilst I do have business here, this quest is really for the demi-gods, and I wish to see more of their abilities in battle. Chiron thinks highly of them."

"Chiron... The Chiron from ancient times?"

"Yes, that would be he. The centaur teacher."

I don't get it," Jason said, interrupting her mental conversation, "Lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but...?"

"Sadly, Child of Rome, you are spoken for like the goddess here. Since this one" -he waggled his claws at Piper- "has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered alive to the Wolf House. One of my compatriots has asked for the honour of killing you herself."

"Who?" Jason asked.

The wolf king snickered. "Oh, a great admirer of yours.Apparently, you made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough, and really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Wolf House should mark my new territory quite well. Lupa will think twice about challenging my pack."

At the fire, Piper struggled to her feet. Kassandra almost abandoned her position to help her. Almost.

"You're going to leave now," Piper said, "before we destroy you."

Kassandra could hear the attempt of charm speak in her voice, but the daughter of Aphrodite was so weak it wouldn't have an effect on even the weakest dracaena.

Lycaon's red eyes crinkled with humour. "A brave try, girl.I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Jupiter and daughter of (Y/N) are needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner."

"What am I wanted for?" asked Kassandra. She hadn't even had the time out of camp to make enemies.

"Family matters or something of the like," remarked Lycaon.

She only had her mother and her father, so that meant one of them was wrapped up in this. If she went with him, there was a chance she could see them again. Unfortunately, Jason was playing hero. He took a step forwards.

Lycaon howled and extended his claws. Jason slashed at him, but his golden sword passed straight through as if the wolf king wasn't there. Lycaon laughed.

"Gold, bronze, steel- none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Jupiter."

"Silver!" Piper cried. "Aren't werewolves hurt by silver?"

"We don't have any silver!" Jason said.

Wolves leaped into the firelight. Hedge charged forward with an elated "Woot!"But Leo struck first.

He threw a glass bottle and it shattered on the ground, splattering liquid all over the wolves- the unmistakable smell of gasoline. He shot a burst of fire at the puddle, and a wall of flames erupted.Wolves yelped and retreated. Several caught fire and had to run back into the snow. Even Lycaon looked uneasily at the barrier of flames now separating his wolves from the demigods.

"Aw, c'mon," Coach Hedge complained. "I can't hit them if they're way over there."

Every time a wolf came closer, Leo shot a new wave of fire from his hands, but each effort seemed to make him a little more tired, and the gasoline was already dying down.

"I can't summon any more gas!" Leo warned. Then his face turned red."Wow, that came out wrong. I mean the burning kind. Gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. What you got, man?"

"Nothing," Jason said. "Not even a weapon that works."

"Lightning?" Piper asked.

Jason concentrated, but nothing happened. "I think the snowstorm is interfering, or something."

"Unleash the venti!" Piper said.

"Then we'll have nothing to give Aeolus," Jason said. "We'll have come all this way for nothing."

Lycaon laughed. "I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, heroes. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Zeus did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me."

Kassandra was at a standstill with the wolves. If she shot one then the rest might just work up the courage to jump her as one.

The flames began to sputter out. Jason cursed and dropped his sword. He crouched like he was ready to go hand-to-hand. Leo pulled his hammer out of his pack. Piper raised her dagger- not much, but it was all she had. Coach Hedge hefted his club, and he was the only one out of the four mortals who looked excited about dying.

Then a ripping sound cut through the wind- like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouted from the neck of the nearest wolf- the shaft of a silver arrow. The wolf writhed and fell, melting into a puddle of shadow. More arrows. More wolves fell.

Kassandra caught one of the arrows in mid air and analysed it- she had seen an arrow like this before.

"Friend?" asked Hector in her head.

"The best," she responded, silently grinning to herself.

The pack broke in confusion. An arrow flashed toward Lycaon, but the wolf king caught it in midair. Then he yelled in pain. When he dropped the arrow, it left a charred, smoking gash across his palm.Another arrow caught him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggered.

"Curse them!" Lycaon yelled. He growled at his pack, and the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. "This isn't over, boy."

The wolf king disappeared into the night.

Seconds later, Kassandra heard more wolves baying, but the sound was different- less threatening, more like hunting dogs on the scent. A sound she had thought she'd never hear again. A smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more.

Hedge said, "Kill it?"

"No!" Kassandra yelled, frantically ripping the cudgel from the satyr's hands. She

The wolves tilted their heads and studied the campers with huge golden eyes.A heartbeat later, their masters appeared: a troop of hunters in white-and-grey winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carried bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs.

Their faces were covered with parka hoods, but clearly they were all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouched in the firelight and snatched up the arrow that had wounded Lycaon's hand.

"So close."

She turned to her companions. "Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you."

The other hunters mumbled agreement and disappeared,heading after Lycaon's pack.The girl in white turned toward them, her face still hidden in her parka hood.

"We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?"

"Thalia!" cried out Kassandra, sprinting forwards and enveloping the daughter of Zeus in a hug like she was still 9 years old.

The huntress pulled down her parka hood. Her hair was spiky black, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face had a super-healthy glow to it, as if she were a little more than human, and her eyes were brilliant blue.

The daughter of Zeus was shocked and rigid at first, but quickly warmed into it.

"Kassandra, look how big you've gotten!" she laughed, swinging around the daughter of (Y/N), "Is Annabeth feeding you enough?"

"I'm older than you!" she whined as she was set down on the floor, crossing her arms. Thalia patted her on the head.

"You're her," said Piper, "You're Thalia."

"Do I know you?" Thalia asked.

Piper took a breath. "This might be a shock, but-"

"Thalia." Jason stepped forward, his voice trembling. "I'm Jason, your brother."

"What in the name of Priam going on?" asked Hector.

(Kassandra killed the wolf with one of her energy arrows because she is a god, simple as that)

For a minute Kassandra stood between the two with a blank, confused face. Huh?

Then, Thalia and Jason rushed forwards, hugging.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!"

She gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it."Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip- you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Leo laughed. "Seriously?"

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason's taste."Staplers -excellent source of iron."

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead?What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked.Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face, like she was afraid he might vanish.

"My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right.But we have to talk. Let's sit."

Piper did better than that. She collapsed. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if Hedge hadn't caught her.Thalia rushed over.

"What's wrong with her? Ah- never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle." She frowned at the satyr."Don't you know nature healing?"

"He's not that sort of satyr," brushed off Kassandra, "I'll take her to Phoebe, she always was a good healer."

"She learnt quite a bit from your fa-" Thalia caught herself before she could finish. "Yeah, go do that. Me and Jason have some catching up to do."

Kassandra swooped up Piper for the second time that day and began to walk.

"Leo, Hedge, come on now."

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off."

"Come on,Hedge. These two need time to talk," said Leo.

"Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody."

Leo was just behind her when Jason called, "Actually, man, could you, um,stick around?"

Leo grinned. "Sticking around is my speciality."

Thalia didn't look too happy about it, but the three of them sat at the fire.

"Enjoy Thalia!" smiled Kassandra jokingly before leaving the cave to find Phoebe. That girl really was a miracle worker.

*somewhere in the mountains*

"Damned hunters," muttered Lycaon as he trodded through the snow with his pack, "I'll have my vengeance."

"If I had a drachma for every time I heard that," came a voice from the tree.

The werewolf bared his fangs and spun around, but whimpered when he came head on with a huge boar. The Erymanthian boar.

"Don't worry, he won't bite," promised the voice, still hidden. "I'm just here to remind you; failure is unacceptable and there are punishments for failure."

As the words were spoken the boar squealed and sliced one of its tusks along the stomach of one of Lycaon's sons' stomachs before disintegrating into ash.