The next morning after breakfast, Sylvia ran into Nico by the forest, lying down on his back in the snow-cloaked grass---definitely soaking his new Camp Half-Blood shirt---and looking up at the glistening frost draped on the bare trees. She asked him if he had any new friends other than Will yet, and he said no. Apparently, he also hadn't learned how to fight at all yet, and Sylvia couldn't have that, so she took him to the archery range, which was temporarily empty.

"And then you put the arrow there, no, there, yeah, just like that, and then just move your elbow up the tiniest bit, draw it back, and let go," she instructed for the umpteenth time.

It landed on the target---the first arrow of many to get anywhere near the bullseye---with a thwack, making Nico cheer and Sylvia smile.

"I did it! I did it, Syl! Did you see that?"

Sylvia laughed at his enthusiasm. "I sure did!"

Careful, Sylvia, Fawkes teased, having just flew down from wherever. One day he'll be better than you.

"Fawkes and I are both very proud of you," Sylvia said, making his smile grow even bigger.

"Do you think I can do it again?" he asked.

"You'll never know until you try." Sylvia shrugged.

While he nocked his arrow, Fawkes said, I just overheard Percy and Grover say something...interesting.

You were eavesdropping? Sylvia asked, not believing Fawkes would do that. "Oh, so close, Nico!"

No! Fawkes said, clearly affronted. I was basking in the morning sunlight--it's not funny! I get my energy from the sun!--and Percy described the exact dream you had.

About...about Annabeth? Sylvia furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh, Nico, be careful! The arrow doesn't go that way! Yeah, there, that's perfect! But...how?

No one really understands demigod dreams, Fawkes said. But apparently Zoe also had a dream. Grover didn't understand all of her accented speech, but the gist of it is Lady Artemis is in trouble and needs the Hunters. She started to argue with Argus when he wouldn't let her in the Big House to talk to Chiron.

Nico hit the bullseye.

"Good job, Nico! We're so proud of you! Y'know, maybe you're a son of Apollo!" Sylvia said, although it was doubtful, since everyone except Michael had blonde hair, and his was only black because he dyed it.

Nico hugged Sylvia, shocking her a bit, since no one except Finn and Clarisse ever really did anything like that--or, at least, they were the only ones she was okay with doing that, although it seemed now that she had to add another person onto that list. "Then you'd be my actual sister!"

Sylvia smiled down at him. "I'll be your actual sister no matter who your godly parent is. They could be Hades, or Thanatos, for all I care." (...who's gonna tell her? Not it!)

"Hades is the only Mythomagic figurine I don't have," he commented.

Sylvia hummed. "Y'know what? I'm pretty sure Michael, one of my brothers, lives by a Toys 'R' Us. I can ask him to keep a look out on the different figurines they sell."

"Really?" Nico hugged Sylvia again, this time a lot tighter. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

"Nico?" Connor Stoll called from across the archery range. "There you are! We've been looking for you everywhere! We have Ancient Greek class right now! Also, Sylvia, don't the Apollo kids have Monster Class?"

"Oh, shoot, we do! Wait, how do you know that?"

He winked at her. "Finn memorized your schedule. Y'know, fae really likes--"

"Cool!" Sylvia hoped her cheeks weren't flushed. "Well, see you later, Nico! I gotta run!"

She all but sprinted to the basketball court, which was where they had Monster Class.

* * *

Now that we're here, what were you saying earlier? Sylvia asked as she sat down next to Clarisse (they shared Monster Class with the Ares kids in the morning) on the rough pavement, leaning back on the basketball post.

You should be listening to the class! Fawkes scolded. 

Which do you think is more important: learning about empousai for the 100th time, or learning about something that might lead to whatever the Hera Artemis is doing?

Fi-i-ine. Chiron came outside, and Zoe told him she needed permission to leave camp immediately. Chiron refused. He reminded her that the Hunters were supposed to stay here until they received orders from Artemis. She said 'How are we to get orders from Artemis if she is lost?'

Lost as in taken? Kidnapped? Sylvia asked.

Yes, Fawkes confirmed.

Who could kidnap her? Sylvia wondered.

Most likely someone on Kronos's side, Fawkes said. I don't know who, though.

It couldn't be Kronos himself, though, right? Sylvia asked. Last time anyone had seen Kronos, he'd been in tiny pieces. Well...they hadn't actually seen him. Thousands of years earlier, after the Titan war, the gods sliced him into bits with his own scythe and scattered his remains in Tartarus. Two summers prior, Kronos had tricked Annabeth, Percy, and Grover to the very edge of the pit and almost pulled them in. Then, last summer, while Clarisse and Sylvia were on the quest as they were supposed to be--unlike Percy-- Annabeth, Tyson, and Percy saw a coffin on board Luke's ship, where Luke had claimed he was summoning the Titan Lord out of the abyss, bit by bit, every time someone new joined their cause. Kronos could influence people with dreams and trick them, but Sylvia couldn't see how he could physically overcome Artemis if he was still a pile of dissected Titan.

No, I don't believe he could, meaning he already has extremely powerful allies, Fawkes said.

Percy and I...our dream must be connected to Zoe's somehow.

Also, um, Grover said...he said the Hunters might've been scouting us, Fawkes said.

What do you mean? Sylvia questioned.

The Hunters have a brochure for joining the Hunt, as I'm sure you know, Fawkes paused.

Yeah? And? Sylvia didn't know where this was going.

Grover found one in Annabeth's backpack.

What? Sylvia couldn't believe it. She was considering...leaving us?

Apparently, Fawkes confirmed, making Sylvia feel even worse.

I- but-. She couldn't even find the right words to describe how she was feeling. Disappointed? Sad? Those emotions barely scratched the surface.

I know, Fawkes sympathized. I know.

"Sylvia, did you hear what I said?" 

Sylvia looked up at an annoyed Malcolm Pace, who was teaching them Monster Class, since the usual teacher was sick. "Well, does it seem like I heard it?"

"Pay attention!" he scolded, making Sylvia glower at him. And she was good at giving people looks. After a moment, he seemed kind of uncomfortable, then, after a few more moments, he seemed kind of scared. "Or...or not. Most of us have ADHD, so I guess it's a usual occurence for someone to zone out," he muttered.

Sylvia felt sort of bad. He'd just lost Annabeth too. But she quickly put those feelings aside. What she was doing was about Annabeth! It was for her!

"What was the question, though?" she asked, deciding she'd make it up by answering it.

"State as many different traits, characteristic, abilities, or features the manticore has as you can," he said.

Sylvia stared at him for a moment. His sister had just been taken by the manticore, and he was asking this? What the Hades! But she sort of had to answer now. "He has the head of a human, the body of a lion, and a scorpion-like tail. He can shoot thorns at people from that tail with lightning speed. The thorns are poisonous and can make someone black out multiple times from the pain, but they can be easily treated. He's a fuc-" her eyes flickered to Kayla for a moment, remembering she was 10, "freaking maniac who deserves to die over and over again and have an extremely slow, agonizing rebirth. Oh, and his eyes are heterochromatic--one's brown, the other's a startlingly bright blue."

"That was never described in any of the myths," Malcolm said, furrowing his eyebrows. "How do you--"

"Do you want me to tell you about every monster I've met, or can we move on?" she interrupted.

He cleared his throat, clearly not comfortable at the thought of her glaring at him again. "Right. Anyways, as she said, manticores are..." his voice droned on, but Sylvia stopped listening as Clarisse poked her shoulder.

"'M proud of you," she said. "That glare was 10/10. Now you just gotta use that on Prissy the next time he shows up."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sylvia said, trying to muster a smile, although her thoughts were back on Annabeth.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Clarisse asked, concern clear in her emerald eyes that were the exact same shade as Sylvia's.

"Annabeth," Sylvia murmured, so quietly she wasn't even sure Clarisse heard her. "I'm worried."

"Hey, she'll be alright." Clarisse put her arm around Sylvia's shoulders. As previously stated, she was one of the only people allowed to do that. "She's a tough girly. Tougher than most I know. You're one of the only exceptions. If anyone could escape them and be completely fine, it'd be her."

Sylvia put her head on her sister's shoulder. "I sure hope she will be."

Okay, I'm sorry, this is kinda short. I just felt like I had to publish something. 

But, anyways, here's a bit of Clarisse and Sylvia's dynamic!

And Nico being an adorable smol bean, which, ofc, we all love (you BETTER love it, anyway)

QOTD: Who's your favourite Riordanverse god? And goddess?

A: I haven't actually finished MC or KC, so I can't really say anything ab the ppl in those. Fave god is Apollo, with Hades a close second, and fave goddess is Artemis or Aphrodite, with Hestia and Iris right behind them.

Cya later!

-Eevee