About an hour after we left Medusa's house, we took rest in a large field. Annabeth and I laid down together just looking at the stars while Percy, Grover, and Logan were talking to each other. After a moment, Logan walked away from Percy and Grover and went to lay down beside me.

"I saw mom," I said after a minute of uncomfortable silence. "I remember it now. She tried to talk to me."

Annabeth winced. "That's why you were staring at that spot in the woods?" I nodded. "I apologize for that."

"It's okay," I sighed. "I'll have another chance to talk to her. I just don't know when."

"Maybe we can bother Hades for hours until he lets us?" Logan asked once I looked at him. "I mean, he has to do it, he loved her."

I rolled my eyes at his comment, but it didn't sound like a bad idea. Though I didn't want to get smited by my father on our first meeting.

But then it got me thinking, why would he steal the lightning bolt? He is never known to cause any strife between the Olympians, that is usually Ares's thing but not even he would be stupid enough to cause a war between the gods. Is he?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of my brother snoring beside me. I sighed as I looked at him.

"He's got the right idea," Annabeth spoke. "We should get some rest, it's been a long day."

I nodded as I looked up at the stars, trying to see if I could get a bit of sleep. Sure enough, I did, but now I regret it.

⊱ ────── {⋆⌘⋆} ────── ⊰

Everything was black. As far as the eye could see. I didn't know what was happening but I was afraid of moving or else I would see something I wasn't supposed to, but either way I stayed put.

But even that didn't do anything for me since my surroundings changed drastically. I was no longer in the dark, but I was in a stool in what looked like a restaurant. I was confused as to why I was in here until I heard a voice.

"Wow," the voice called. I turned around and there she was again. The woman from last time. "You discovered your first talent in record time, well done."

I relaxed as I faced her. "What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well, seeing shades is mediocre at best, but i guess everyone has to start somewhere. And-"

"Were you watching me?"

The woman waved her hand dismissively. "You know I've been watching you from the beginning. Since you were born. I told you during our first meeting, it was the fates who instructed me to watch you. You are special, my dear."

"Special?"

"I know it's hard to believe that someone like you would ever be as strong as they say, strong enough to defeat the great Olympians themselves, but-"

"Wait, wait, stopping you right there," I interrupted again. "Strong enough to defeat the great who now? Now you're just speaking nonsense. Tell me the real reason why you're here."

"I'm telling the truth, young demigod," the woman spoke. "You are stronger then you will ever realize. Once you know what's at stake here, you'll have to make the decsion to chose which side you'll be on."

"Easy," I said, folding my arms. "I choose the good side. Good always prevails, right?"

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as you make it sound," the woman said. "This decision will be based on the choices you make in your life moving forward. And as I said before, it's not going to be that easy."

I took in a deep breath. "So I have to be careful with the choices I make?"

The woman was silent for a moment.

"Let me guess? I have to concult with the fates for that huh?" I sighed. "This is nonsense."

"This is your fate," the woman spoke again. She was going to say something else, but she stopped. I noticed a glow coming from her, blinking rapidly like it was trying to speak to her. The woman sighed, "this is all I can say unfortunately, but heed my message, my dear. You will grow stronger as the years come, and people are going to want to take advantage of that power. Hold it close, and don't let it go."

I was about to say something to her but once again everything went black. Though, unlike my other dream, I didn't wake up from it as quickly as I did the last time. It wanted me to stay for some reason.

I was in darkness for a moment until I heard someone laugh.

"She's the one you were watching?" the person scoffed. "I've seen petty ants more interesting than her."

I looked around but I could still see nothing but black. No light, no presense, nothing.

The person laughed again. "Though," he spoke. "If you join me, I can give you all the power you've been wanting and more."

I groaned. "As if," I shouted. "Tell me who I'm talking to, then I'll see if your 'offer' is worth my patience."

I swear, I sounded more confident than I actually was.

The person growled. "Stubborn young woman," they chuckled. "You would make a special place in my army. Just you wait, your purpose will be discovered soon enough."

The person then laughed loudly. The sound filled my ears until it was like it was just drowning me. Soon enough it started getting muffled more and more until it dissapeared and I finally woke up.

⊱ ────── {⋆⌘⋆} ────── ⊰

I let out a startled yell as I woke up. I looked over to where Grover was to see him looking at me with a concerned look.

I sighed. "I uh, had another demigod dream," I told him.

"What was it?" he asked.

I sighed before telling him everything. From the woman in the resturant tothe voice I heard at the end. When i was done I was met with the face of my concerned friend once again.

"That doesn't sound like a normal dream," he said. "It sounds like a warning."

"Warning?"

Grover nodded. "You haven't learned much about your powers yet, but she wants you to learn much about it as possible, that has to mean something."

I didn't say anything. I just started playing with my Hades fuguring, which I did not know I actually had until now. Hades is one of the strongest cards in the game alongide Zeus and Poseidon, though he the weakest out of the three. Even then I always play with him alongside Hera and Apollo. Hera can summon a giant peacock army while Apollo can add extra health to your team if you all get injured. Sadly I left them as well as all the cards at camp. Hopefully they're not gone when I come back. If I come back

Grover decided to go for a walk. He left just as Annabeth and Logan were getting up.

"How long were you up?" Annabeth asked me.

I shrugged. "Thirty minutes," I said. "Grover gone out for a walk a little while ago."

Annabeth said nothing but nodded. "Okay," she said, getting up. "I think it's time for some breakfast."

Annabeth grabbed her bad she stole from Medusa and reached in there to get some chips. She pulled out a bag of cheetos and tossed a bag to me. I thanked her and opened the bag. I looked over to see Logan moving over on his side, still asleep. I watched as he groaned before turning over again. That's when I knew he was waking up.

"Hey, chicken," I said. "Wake up, I got some trail mix."

Logan didn't say anything for a moment until he just sighed. "What kind?" he then asked.

I looked at the bag, luckily it was easy to read. "Pretzels, peanuts, cashews, rasins, cocolate-I'll either throw those out of give them to Annabeth, Grover, or Percy-and popcorn."

Logan put his hand on my leg before opening it so I can pour the chips in. I did and once I was finished he sat up, dug out the chocolate chips, put them in his lap, and popped the rest of the snacks in his mouth. I did the same.

Annabeth went to sit down beside me. "Are you guys really allergic to chocolate?" she asked us.

Logan and I nodded. "And peanuts," I said. "But it's just a mild allergy. Just a little small bumps here and there, nothing too severe compared to chocolate."

"I would be tearing up a chocolate bar if I wasn't," Logan said. I chuckled as he grabbed the bag out of my lap and some of the trail mix into his hand before putting the bag back.

Annabeth looked at Logan for a moment before grabbing the bag from my lap and pouring some into her hands and popping it into her mouth. We then started talking to each other (well, me and Annabeth talked and me and Logan. Annabeth refused to talk to Logan so they both talked to me.) until we noticed Grover coming back carrying a small pink thing.

"Hey, guys!" he said cheerfully. "Look who I've found."

He then put the pink thing down and we watched as it started making its way towards us. It took me too long to figure out it was a small poodle, but even then it was too late since it was already at my feet.

"Annabeth, Heather, Logan, meet Gladiola, our ticket west," Grover introduced.

I looked down at Gladiola as the dog was still at my feet, barking. I picked him up-assuming it was a boy-and reeled back as he started licking my face. I wasn't that good with dogs since I've never had one but he liked me so I guess I can try to like him.

Grover chuckled. "He likes you," he said.

I chuckled nervously. "I guess so."

I started stratching Gladiola's back. He then started barking at me, i guess they were happy barks since he wasn't biting me.

"What do you mean 'our ticket west'?" Logan asked Grover.

He was about to answer until we heard groaning. We all looked to see Percy getting up. Finally. He blinked for a moment before looking at us.

"Hey, the chicken lives," Annabeth said sarcastically. "Grover found a friend."

Gladiola, the friend in question, noticed Grover and started barking angrily at Percy, making him flinch back.

"Percy, meet Gladiola," Grover introduced once again. "Gladiola, Percy."

But Gladiola didn't see this as a welcome meeting as he literally jumped out of my arms and ran towards Percy and started barking at him.

"What is that thing?" Percy cried out as Gladiola got closer to Percy, but didn't bite him.

"That thing is our ticket west," Grover said, a bit offended. He then explained to us that Gladiola got separated by his family while on a walk. He's been lost for weeks and his family put out wanted posters with a cash reward for anyone if they can find him.

"And we'll use that money to get a train to take us west," Grover concluded.

"And how did Gladiola know that?" Percy asked.

"He read the posters," Grover said, like that was obvious.

"Oh right, silly me," Percy said sarcastically.

Gladiola then went back to me and I picked him back up.

"Come on, Percy, say hi," I told him. "Hi, Gladiola."

I was mostly doing this to tease him and he knew it and gave me an annoyed look, though I gave him a satisfied one. My look became even more satisfied when Annabeth, Logan and Grover said hi to Gladiola as well.

Percy reeled back some more. "Forget it, I'm not saying hey to a pink poodle," he told us.

"Really Percy?"

"Yes."

"Percy, come on," Logan urged.

"You're not gonna make me say hi to that thing if you forced me."

Annabeth gave Percy an annoyed look. "Come on, Percy," she said, "I said hi to the pink poodle, you say hi to the pink poodle."

Percy looked at Gladiola before looking back at all of us. Against his beter judgement, he said hey to the pink poodle. His face afterwards is what made me laugh hard.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Logan asked. "Take him back to his family and get the reward?"

Grover nodded. "And we take a train west and go from there."

I huffed. "Seems easy enough."

Annabeth tossed the backpack over her shoulders and walked in front of us.

"Come on," she said. "The sooner the better."