LOST AT SEA | jason grace

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞. 𝑑𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑓𝑠

𝙷𝙰𝚉𝙴𝙻 𝚁𝙴𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙽𝙴𝙳 from her trip with Arion, dropping the huge bombshell that she had met Hecate at a crossroads. And she survived. Nico said that most demigods didn't survive them and Lorna decided to take his word for it.

Hazel explained that they had to go through the top of Italy, head east to the seas, then along the western coast of Greece, turn north to Bologna, then to Venice before sailing the Adriatic to Epirus. 

When Lorna first saw the path, she, and her other friends disagreed with Hazel. The path was too far out of their way. But Hazel said that Hecate would obscure them, and that Gaia would not expect them to take that route. And, there would be treasures and dwarfs in Bologna. Lorna wasn't sure how it would help them, but Hazel decided that it was important to point out.

As Lorna fussed with her hair, trying to get the tiara out, she was thinking about what Hazel saw at the crossroads. It was obvious that she was shaken by it, but she did not want to worry the crew. 

"We are currently crossing the Apennies!" Leo cheered, entering the mess hall. Lorna was sitting at the head of the table, Jason sat beside her, holding her hand. Hazel sat on the other side, with Nico and Frank. 

Leo had the mess hall's walls to show real-time scenes from Camp Half-Blood. At first everyone had thought that was a pretty awesome idea. Now they wasn't so sure. The scenes from back home- the campfire sing-alongs, dinners at the pavilion, volleyball games outside the Big House- just seemed to make them sad. Especially with the different time zones: they could feel the distance every time they looked at the walls.

Nico sat forward. "I communed with the dead last night." He just tossed that line out there, like he was saying he got a text from a buddy. 

"With McDonalds' Happy Meals again?" Lorna teased, earning a glare from the son of Hades

"I was able to learn more about what we'll face," Nico continued. "In ancient times, the House of Hades was a major site for Greek pilgrims. They would come to speak with the dead and honor their ancestors. A lot of cultures have seasonal traditions to honor the dead, but the House of Hades was open year-round. Pilgrims could actually speak to the ghosts. In Greek, the place was called the Necromanteion, the Oracle of Death. You'd work your way through different levels of tunnels, leaving offerings and drinking special potions. The pilgrims believed that each level of the temple brought you closer to the Underworld, until the dead would appear before you. If they were pleased with your offerings, they would answer your questions, maybe even tell you the future."

Frank tapped his mug of hot chocolate. "And if the spirits weren't pleased?"

"Some pilgrims found nothing," Nico said. "Some went insane, or died after leaving the temple. Others lost their way in the tunnels and were never seen again."

"The point is," Jason said quickly, "Nico found some information that might help us."

"Yeah." Nico didn't sound very enthusiastic. "The ghost I spoke to last night...he was a former priest of Hecate. He confirmed what the goddess told Hazel yesterday at the crossroads. In the first war with the giants, Hecate fought for the gods. She slew one of the giants—one who'd been designed as the anti-Hecate. A guy named Clytius."

"Dark dude," Leo guessed. "Wrapped in shadows."

Hazel turned toward him, her gold eyes narrowing. "Leo, how did you know that?"

"Kind of had a dream."

No one was surprised. 

Lorna tried not to look at the wall images of Camp Half-Blood as Leo described the place in ruins. He told them about the dark giant, and the strange woman on Half-Blood Hill, offering him a multiple-choice death.