War Mantle (Dancing with Death part 3)

"A Quest to Test a Fatal Flaw"

Ali turned and walked away from Ella and the others, her mind racing with too many thoughts.

"Ali?" Tyler raced to catch up to her. "Ali!" He grabbed her arm, which sent a spike of pain through her chest.

She stopped, flinching from the burst of pain.

"I'm sorry." He let go. "What's wrong?"

She whirled to face him. "'What's wrong?!'" She laughed historically. "I just received another prophecy! Last time I got one Percy and Annabeth got hurt; Mason went into a coma, and I almost died!" She caught her breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me." She stalked away before he could say anything.
* * *
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Meg followed Ali around as she stuffed supplies into her pack.

"It means exactly that." Ali pushed passed her sister and grabbed her bow and arrows off the wall. "I have to go."

"I thought we'd just decided we were staying." Lydia cut in, exasperated.

"You are." Ali held. "This is something I have to do alone."

"Not alone." A voice sounded from the door, making the girls jump.

Tyler stood in the doorway, a backpack slung over one shoulder, a quiver on his back, and a sword sheathed at his side. "I'm coming with you."

Ali looped her full satchel over her shoulder and grabbed Mason's sword. "No. You're not." She pushed passed him outside.

He turned and ran after her. "We both know that prophecy wasn't just about you. "Child of moon and spawn of sun."

Ali spun to face him. "The sun can spawn more than just a kid. One might consider plants a "spawn" of the sun."

Tyler gave her a knowing look. "Now you're just grasping at straws." He grabbed her good shoulder. "You know it's talking about me. I mean a bond forged by the fires of war. Who else could that be talking about?"

Ali sighed. "No one I would want coming with me." Her mind filled with everyone she cared about. Wartime seemed to be the only time she could make any friends.

"Exactly." He met her gaze. "You know it's me. So, why won't you let me help you?"

She held his gaze for as long as she could. "Because it's my fatal flaw. I'm a hunter. I think I have to do everything alone."

Tyler blanched, not sure how to respond. "That... kinda sounds like hubris."

Ali scoffed. "It's not that I think I can do everything on my own, I know I can't. My fatal flaw is that I believe a have to do everything alone. I can't accept help, not easily anyway." She sighed. "I'm a loner. That's my flaw, my curse."

"A quest to test a fatal flaw." He murmured. "This is all the more reason for me to come with you."

Ali met his gaze, the pieces clicking together in her mind. This is what needed to happen. She had to go on this quest; and Tyler needed to come with her. Taking a deep breath, she gave curt nod. "Okay."
* * *
Ali and Tyler stood before Chiron, waiting for a response as he paced back and forth across the lawn. Ali had just finished reciting the prophecy to the activities director.

"So," Chiron finally said. "You two want to go on a quest... together... right after a war?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice." Ali reasoned.

Chiron sighed dramatically. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"Yes." Ali replied adamantly. "This isn't like last time. Last time I was clueless. This time I know exactly what to do."

The old centaur stared at them for a silent moment. "Alright. I'll allow this quest, but only because I know, if I say no, you'll go anyway."

Ali smirked. "You know me so well."
                                     *   *   *
"So, what's the plan?" Tyler broke the silence as they stood at the top of Half-blood Hill.

Ali faced him. "That's the question, isn't it."

"You don't know?" He asked.

She shrugged. "If you wanted a girl with a plan, you should've made friends with Annabeth." She turned to walk down the hill. "I know where we're going and how to get there, for the most part. The question is what then?"

"Well..." Tyler stride along beside her. "Who are these 'dreamers'? What's their rivalry? And, most importantly, how bad is it?"

Ali paused to look at him. "An old friend. An old enemy. Sibling rivalry. And... very bad."

"Great." He replied sarcastically. "So... can I know exactly where we're going?"

Ali stayed silent until they reached the bottom of the hill where she spun to face him, taking a deep breath. "We're going to the Realm of Dreams."

A/N
Sorry, shorter chapter.
Hope you enjoy. 😁
-Cheshire