Demigod Journals (Percy Jackson FanFic - Blood Of Olympus)

Strategy Meeting (Hazel)

POV: Hazel

((@ Argo 2... Over Greece...))

Once again, we were gathered on the deck of Argo 2. But unlike our previous, fun breakfast under the clear blue sky of Greece, now there was an overcast all around us. A terrible chill was in the air and I didn't need Leo to confirm it for us that finally, we were near Athens.

"By tonight, if we didn't have any problem, we'll arrive in Athens." Leo said as we sat around a much tighter circle, sharing some hot chocolate and warm soup.

"Did you guys notice that there are hardly any monsters attacking us now?" Piper asked as she pulled her blue snowboarding jacket tighter and leaned comfortably on Jason who also wore a matching piece.

"Maybe they forgot about us?" Frank said hopefully beside me.

"I doubt that's the case. It's more like Gaea want us to come unhindered in Athens." It was Percy who crushed his hopes. "The Feast of Spes is almost upon us and surely Gaea doesn't want her sacrifices to be late."

Everyone of us shivered at the word sacrifice. Frank, whose arms were draped over my shoulder, pulled me closer to him protectively. I patted his leg. I understood his anxiety. In my head, I hoped that we could just return our little dinner date last night and let time stop there. I'd be more than happy there instead of here, discussing our imminent deaths.

"Look, I've been thinking about the prophecy that Annabeth got from Apollo." Leo piped in again as he nervously chewed on a strip of bacon. "It said 'seven blood offered freely to the stone', maybe we didn't have to die. Maybe we just need to cut ourselves or something then bleed." He eyed us cautiously. He looked around the circle, pleading everyone to agree with him.

But even I couldn't reassure Leo. The thought has crossed my mind too but somehow it felt... Not right. I didn't want to keep anybody's hopes up when there was none. Leo's face fell at the long silence.

"I've thought about it too. We will try it when we arrive in Athens." Annabeth said with a bit of a forced smile. "First, we must make sure that we get the opportunity to do just that."

Jason sat up straighter. "What do you mean, Annabeth?"

"The prophecy mentioned a stone. It could be just the ground or earth as a reference to Gaea. But we are going to Athens which made me think that the stone is some specific place. I'm quite sure of it."

If Annabeth was that sure, then it's probably true. "Where is it?" I asked. I wasn't that familiar with Athens and it made me really glad that we have a daughter of Athena on board.

"The Acropolis."

"The what? Nmn, I thought it'd be in Parthenon." Leo said.

Percy sighed. "It's the big mountain-rock in the city where the Parthenon and other temples for the gods once and some even now still stand-why are you looking at me like that?" He glared at Annabeth who was beaming wide at him.

"You really were listening at me when I talk about architecture." She said in amazement which made us all snicker at the offended look on Percy's face.

"Of course I do! Especially when you started giving me pop-quizzes and give me even more pop-quizzes when I answered wrong!"

"I never thought that you're sooo smart, Percy." Jason teased which earned him a glare from the son of Poseidon.

Beside me, Frank cleared his throat. "Okay, so this means we need to get to this mountain rock when we reached Athens then cut ourselves, hopefully not bleed to death. Sounds easy enough." Sarcasm laced his voice.