Freezing {Jason Grace}

I Get All Glamoured Up

_______Piper_______

After the first initial shock of the outbreak calmed down, Rachel tried to regain her composure.

"Well, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you p[roof. It's just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The eight demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."

The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously, sleepy Clovis gave them a laugh.

"Anyway," Rachel continued, "we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess that the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."

"Or worse," Chiron murmured.

"Wow, you are such a ray of sunshine," Piper could hear Kat say under her breath.

Maybe he didn't mean for everyone to overhear, but they did. The campfire immediately turned dark purple, the same as Piper's dream.

"What we do know," Rachel said, "is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."

She told them about the incident on the Grand Canyon skywalk-how Gleeson hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits attacked, and how Kat found them there and joined in the fighting. Also about the spirits had warned it was only the beginning. They apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods.

Then Rachel told them about Piper passing out in Hera's cabin. Piper tried to keep a calm expression, even when she noticed Drew in the back row, pantomiming a faint, and her friend giggling. She saw Kat send them a cold look and they immediately shut up. Piper thanked her mentally. Finally, Rachel told them about Jason's vision in the living room of the Big House. The message Hera had delivered there was so similar Piper got a chill. The only difference: Hera had warned Piper not to betray her: Bow to his will, and the king shall rise, dooming us all. Hera knew about the giant's threat. But if that was true, why hadn't she warned Jason, and exposed Piper as an enemy agent?

"Jason," Rachel said. "Um...do you remember your last name?"

He looked self-conscious but he shook his head.

"We'll just call you Jason then," Rachel said. "It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."

Rachel paused as if giving Jason a chance to protest his destiny. Everyone's eyes were on him; there was so much pressure, Piper thought she would've buckled in his position. Yet he looked brave and determined. He set his jaw and nodded. "I agree."

"You must save Hera to prevent great evil," Rahel continued. "Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."

"That's the council day of the gods, isn't it? Kat asked. If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then." she finished.

"They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they always do,' Annabeth added.

"The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is the time of great darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things...stir."