ROYAL CRIES
━━ chapter nine

━━ WHAT'S WORSE THAN a mummy who comes to hand-deliver a prophecy about death? A mummy who comes to hand-deliver a prophecy about death but can't walk herself back to where she came from.

Luckily for Elisa, she wasn't Percy or Grover, the two who were elected to carry the Oracle back to where she came from. Elisa still couldn't believe the Oracle was a shriveled-up corpse, but it seemed to be that way.

Elisa ignored the murmuring of other campers that had been happening ever since the Capture the Flag game ended. She followed Castor and Pollux back to Cabin Twelve from lunch. The two looked nervous, both pale in the face, with ruddy cheeks from the cold winter air.

"So, that's not normal," she guessed behind the closed door of their cabin. "It's not normal for an Oracle-Corpse to come and deliver a prophecy with swirling green mist coming out of her mouth."

Castor and Pollux looked at Elisa. She couldn't tell what the look meant. The three looked over when there was a knock on the door. Silena Beauregard poked her head inside.

"Your dad is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said to the twins.

Pollux and Castor started walking after Silena. Castor looked over his shoulder at Elisa. "Wait here," he said. "It'll probably only take an hour or two."

An hour or not, Elisa wanted to know what was going on in that meeting.

She left Cabin Twelve after a few minutes, a way to make sure no one would be around to see her sneaking back over to the Big House. Or no one would see her that would care or want to know what she was doing.

Thing was, Nico was hurrying over to her from Cabin Eleven.

"What was that back there, Elisa?" he asked loudly.

"Be quiet!" Elisa hissed, grabbing Nico by the arm to pull him behind her.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"I wanna hear what's said in the meeting," said Elisa, storming through the snowy ground for the Big House.

"But why?" asked Nico. "Is it about what happened back there?"

Elisa looked back at Nico. "Obviously. Just stay quiet."

She found the room that had the most noise. It was a room with a ping-pong table in the middle. There were maybe fourteen or fifteen kids in there, they had to be the head counselors. Elisa recognized a few of them; Castor and Pollux, Silena, Beckendorf, the Stoll brothers, and Percy, but there were more that she had no idea who they were. Zoë and Bianca seemed to be representing the Hunters.

Elisa glanced back at Nico, who seemed to be keeping the best passive face he could. She couldn't fail to notice the slight fall to his lips at the sight of his sister.

Elisa heard the drawling voice of Dionysus and Chiron's polite and strained voice in response. Elisa crept along the wall, keeping her hand out behind her to tell Nico to do the same.

That's when the silence crept in. It seemed no one knew how to start the meeting.

"This is pointless," Elisa heard Zoë finally start the meeting. ( Not on a very positive note, but started nonetheless. )

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped.

"There is no time for talk," Zoë continued, seemingly ignoring Grover. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca spoke up. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six Hunters and go."

"She can't go," Nico muttered to Elisa.

"We don't make that call, Neeks," Elisa told him.

"Yes," Zoë agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," said Thalia. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoë dismissed the daughter of Zeus. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times."

It seemed Zoë hesitated taking Thalia's advice. "Yerr. We do not need yerr help."

"Forget it," Thalia snapped.

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron pipped in. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Dionysus mused. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

"Sorry," said Elisa's father, "my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia insisted stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoë, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoë's silence said more than enough. She knew Thalia was right.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus drawled. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoë said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos' minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus," Zoë said without hesitation.

"Just checking," said Elisa's father. "You're right, of course. Carry on."

Elisa and Nico looked at one another.

"At least he's aware?" Nico shrugged.

The daughter of Dionysus was quick to shush him.

"I must agree with Zoë," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Four and two," Percy spoke up. There was some silence before he spoke again, it seemed like he was debating on finishing his thought. "We're supposed to have six. Four Hunters, two from Camp Half-Blood. That's way more than fair."

"Well," said Thalia. "It does make sense."

Zoë grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength in numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

"This monster—the bane of Olympus," Zoë said; her tone of voice made Elisa nervous, she sounded angry and confused. "I have hunted at Lady Artemis' side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

There was baited silence, like everyone was waiting for someone to talk. Elisa's eyebrows pitched upward when Dionysus spoke up, "Well, don't look at me. I'm a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversations."

Elisa rolled her eyes as Nico grinned at her.

"Chiron," said Percy, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

"I have several ideas, none of them good," Chiron told him. "And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That some serious danger you're facing," said one of the Stoll brothers. ( Elisa couldn't tell the two apart for the life of her. ) Although, she did find it funny he said "you" and not "we". "It sounds like at least two of the six are going to die."

"One shall be lost in the land without rain," recalled Beckendorf. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There were some murmurs of agreement.

"And the Titan's curse, two must withstand," Silena added. "What could that mean?"

"Sounds cool, whatever it is," Nico whispered, shifting around. "Elisa, my feet are going numb," he complained.

"Shut up!" she hissed. "Nico, this stuff isn't cool, okay? People are gonna die."

Nico had been grinning at her, but he shrank back, finally realizing the seriousness of what was happening. He swallowed and looked back to the meeting.

"There will be deaths," said Chiron, only proving Elisa's words to Nico. "That much we know."

Elisa paled when her father said immediately after, "Oh, goody!"

"Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback," Dionysus clarified himself after everyone's stunned silence. "Don't mind me."

"What is pinot noir?" Nico asked Elisa.

"It's red wine," she said easily, waving her hand for him to be quiet.

"Percy is right," Silena said. "Two campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoë said scathingly. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

"I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters!" Silena said shrilly. "Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoë scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

There was the scraping of a wooden chair across the floors, but even faster was the grunt of Silena slamming back into her seat.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which four of you will go?"

"I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe and Kathleen. They are our best trackers."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" asked one of the Stoll brothers.

Zoë answered, "Yes."

"And the other likes to put arrows in my helmet?" asked the second Stoll brother.

"Yes!" snapped Zoë. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," said the Stoll brother who had spoken first. "Just that we have T-shirts for them from the camp store. It's a collector's item. I saw they were admiring them. You want to give it to them?"

It was obvious they were up to something. Elisa didn't have to be living at Camp Half-Blood for years to understand that. But Elisa guesses that Zoë didn't know who their father was like she did as the Hunter sighed and told them to give it to her.

"As I was saying," Zoë said grumpily, "I will take Phoebe and Kathleen. And I wish Bianca to go."

Nico grabbed Elisa's hand. "She can't go," he whispered to her. Elisa looked at him, not knowing what to tell him.

"Me?" Bianca's voice was meek. "But ... I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoë insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" It was Grover. There was a loud bang, making Elisa and Nico flinch. "Anything to help Artemis!"

"I think not, satyr." Zoë's voice was distasteful. "You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Thalia piped in. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!" Grover hurried to agree.

"Very well," Zoë gave in. "And the second camper?"

"I'll go," said Thalia. No one else offered for a few moments.

Only for a few moments, however.

"Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said. "I want to go, too."

"Oh," Grover said. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean ... I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."

"He cannot," Zoë sniffed. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling here with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," Percy reminded her.

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"What about Grover?" Percy demanded.

"He does not count," said Zoë. "He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I have to go," Percy said. "I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoë asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

"No! I mean, partly. I just feel like I'm supposed to go!"

Nobody rose to Percy's defense. It was painfully quiet.

"No," said Zoë flatly. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

Chiron sighed. "This quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions. So be it, Thalia and Grover will accompany Zoë, Bianca, Phoebe, and Kathleen. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods, present company included, we hope—be with you."

Elisa stood up, grabbing Nico and pulling him along. "Move!" she whispered to him. "They can't see us!"

"She can't go, Elisa!" Nico yelled to her as they ran back to the cabins. He put his hands on his knees as they stopped outside Cabin Twelve. He looked at her through the dark hairs that were falling into his eyes. "She can't," he panted, pleading with her. "She just can't."

"I don't want her to, either, Nico," said Elisa. "But ... if she wants to do this, we have to let her. Besides, Zoë says it'll be fine."

Nico stood up. Elisa saw the familiar look of anger flash across his face. "Why won't you try and stop her?"

"Because Bianca won't talk to me, either," said Elisa. "I've tried to talk to her just as much as you have, Nico, and she won't talk to me. Won't even look at me sometimes! I don't know if it's because of Zoë and those Hunters, or because she wants us to move on. But I know one thing; Bianca will not talk to me."

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Dinner was tense that evening. Elisa knew everything that had been said, but could talk about none of it. Worse so, it seemed Dionysus knew she and Nico had eavesdropped. He would make comments, but never anything directly. Everyone else at the table was confused and rattled by the words, but thought nothing of them. Elisa sank in her seat with every word uttered by her father at that dinner.

Elisa wanted to have the ability to make her father never able to speak another word again.

As dinner ended, she stood up and went to follow after Castor and Pollux when Dionysus called her name. She sighed and turned around.

"Yeah?" she said.

"Come sit," Dionysus said, waving his hand to the empty seat in front of him. He watched Elisa with eyes she couldn't read as she sat down. "I want you—and I'm not asking, this is a demand—to take a step back."

Elisa pursed her lips. "What do you mean?"

"This is not the quest to get involved in," said Dionysus. "And they're not the half-bloods to be friends with. I'm saying this as your father, who wants you to be as safe as a demigod can be."

"I don't need you to be worried about me," said Elisa. "I've been able to protect myself since I was twelve."

"Maybe so," admitted Dionysus, shrugging. "But I will continue to care."

Elisa looked back to the burning bonfire. "I don't even wanna be friends with Percy, if that's who you're talking about."

"How are dealing with that Brianna girl? I know you two were close," said Dionysus.

"Bianca?" Elisa asked. "Her name is Bianca."

"That's what I said, wasn't it?"

Elisa watched her father for a few moments, deciding to not argue over names. "It's fine," she said passively. "She made her choice."

"But you're dealing with the consequences of her choice," said Dionysus. "That Nixon boy."

"Nico," Elisa corrected.

"Nick."

"Nico isn't a consequence," said Elisa, shaking her head. "Bianca didn't make me promise to take care of him, I did that on my own. And I wouldn't have if I didn't care."

"And that's the problem, my dear Elisa," said Dionysus, leaning forward on the table. "Caring too much. I've seen it happen time and time again."

"I know what happens," said Elisa. "Promise me, I know. And I won't ever do it again."

ˋˏ [ 👑 ] ˎˊ

It was another sleepless night. Just like any other night, Elisa did the same thing. She tossed and turned in her bed, shifting the pillow as if that would make a difference, kicking the covers and bed sheets off, and pulling them back over her body ten minutes later.

Elisa kicked off her sheets one last time as she sat up in bed. She rubbed at her face, holding it in her hands as she crossed her legs. She pushed back the faded blue bangs that had grown to be at her chin.

She flinched when a door slammed closed nearby and two figures hurry past the dark cabin. Elisa watched the figures through the hair that had fallen in front of her face, her eyebrows slowly knitting downward.

Creeping along the cabin was something she had unfortunately gotten used to. Elisa grabbed the handle to the door, turning it. She swung it open quickly, coming face to face with Nico.

Elisa glanced over her shoulder at Castor and Pollux; neither had stirred from their sleep at the sound of the door creaking. "Nico?" she whispered. "Why are you out here? You should be in Cabin Eleven."

"I was going to go see Bianca," he explained.

Elisa looked over his head, looking at the dark sky for any sign of the cleaning harpies. She grabbed Nico by the arm to pull him inside.

"This late?" she asked him, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.

"The sun's about to rise," Nico said, pointing to the window beside the door.

Elisa looked out the window, noticing the sky changing colors from the sun rising. She licked her lips, looking back to Nico. "Oh ... Did you ever sleep?"

"Yes," Nico said a little too quickly. Elisa looked at him sharply. "No," he admitted even faster. "I'm worried about Bianca."

That was another reason Elisa hadn't been able to fall asleep. Bianca going on that quest where the number one fact they did know was that two people were going to die; two out of six.

"Me too," said Elisa. "But why'd you come over here? This isn't Cabin Eight."

Nico looked out the cabin window, looking in the direction you would walk to the dining pavilion. "Something's happened to those other Hunters—I can't remember their names—"

"Zoë?" asked Elisa.

Nico shook his head. "The other two that are going on the quest. Something bad happened to them." He grabbed Elisa's hand. "Just listen!" he whispered.

"Give me a minute," said Elisa. "I need to get something ..."

The two ran for the dining pavilion, following the footprints in the snow. Elisa pushed Nico behind a column, ducking behind another when Zoë looked over her shoulder. She and Bianca were at the dining table for Artemis, whispering to each other. Elisa strained her ear to hear them.

"There has to be a way to cure them," Bianca was insisting.

"It cannot be cured," Zoë was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

Elisa looked at Nico, looking at him to tell her; the black-haired boy shook his head.

"A foolish prank," Zoë growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of those Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirts with it."

"That's terrible!"

"They will live," Zoë said. "But they'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way they can go. It's up to me ... and thee."

"But the prophecy," argued Bianca. "If Phoebe and Kathleen can't go, we only have four. We'll have to pick two others."

"There is no time," Zoë said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose two."

"In the land without rain and by a parent's hand," Bianca pointed out, "this isn't it."

"It might be the land without rain," Zoë said, though even she didn't sound convinced. "The camp has magic borders. Nothing, not even weather, is allowed in without permission. It could be a land without rain."

"But—" Bianca started to argue.

"Bianca, hear me." Zoë's voice was strained. "I ... I can't explain, but I have a sense that we should not pick anyone else. It would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe and Kathleen's. I don't want Chiron choosing any other camper as our fifth and sixth companion. And ... I don't want to risk anymore Hunters."

Bianca was silent. "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoë said. She sounded really upset. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."

Elisa hid from the two's view, hoping Nico was smart and quick enough to do the same. Elisa's lips pulled together when Zoë froze halfway down the stairs. She slid Scion down into her hand as Zoë's hand crept for her bow.

Bianca said before anything could happen, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

Elisa watched as Zoë followed Bianca from the pavilion. Elisa and Nico looked at each other, creeping down the icy steps to follow them. Elisa had to know what Bianca was talking about.

"Wait!" Percy Jackson's voice came from behind Elisa, back in the dining pavilion.

She and Nico spun around.

"What are you doing here?" Elisa demanded, a sneer forming on her face.

"Where did you come from?" Nico asked in amazement.

"I've come over since I saw you two here," said Percy. "Invisible."

Elisa looked him up and down as Nico mouthed the word "Invisible" to himself.

"Wow," said Nico. "Cool."

Percy looked between the two. "How did you two know Zoë and Bianca were here?"

Nico blushed furiously.

Elisa said, "It doesn't matter. What were you doing out?"

"You're thinking of following Zoë and Bianca on the quest, aren't you, Nico?" Percy asked, looking away from Elisa and to Nico.

"How did you know that?" asked Nico.

"Because if it was my sister," said Percy, "I'd probably be thinking the same thing. But you can't."

"And neither can you," said Elisa. "None of us can."

Nico frowned. "Is it because I'm too young?" he asked.

"Because they won't let you," said Percy. "They'll catch you and send you back here. And ... yeah, because you're too young. You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that. More dangerous. Some of the heroes will die."

Nico's shoulders sagged. He shifted from foot to foot, looking back at the Big House. "Maybe you're right. But ... but you can go for me."

Percy's eyes widened. "What?"

"You can turn invisible," said Nico. "You can go!"

"The Hunters don't like boys," Percy reminded him. "If they find out—"

"Don't let them find out," said Nico. "Follow them invisibly. Keep an eye on my sister! You have to. Please?"

"Nico—" Elisa started.

"He's planning on going anyway." Nico turned to Percy. "Aren't you?"

Percy swallowed. "Yeah," he admitted. "I have to find Annabeth. I have to help, even if they don't want me to."

"I won't tell on you," promised Nico. "And Elisa won't, either. Not if it'll help Bianca! But you have to promise us to keep her safe!"

"I ..." Percy said, "that's a big thing to promise, Nico, on a trip like this. Besides, she's got Zoë, Grover, and Thalia—"

"Promise," Nico insisted.

"I'll do my best," Percy decided. "I promise that."

"Get going, then!" Nico said, waving Percy off. "Good luck!"

Percy glanced at the Big House. "Tell Chiron—"

"I'll make something up." Nico smiled crookedly. "Elisa's taught me how to do it. Go on!"

He ran for the Big House, leaving a trail of snowprints in his wake.

"I'm going with you," Elisa said, turning to Percy. "You can't change my mind."

It was a stupid idea. Elisa had never been on a quest before, she had never been properly trained, she had no bag, no change of clothes, nothing besides Scion and Acantha.

Percy looked at Elisa. "You can't," he protested.

"Says you," Elisa countered. "I think Zoë would like me on the quest a lot better than she would you."

"Why are you going, then? Bianca?"

"Because of reasons," said Elisa, pushing Scion back up the sleeve of her shirt. "You don't need to know everything about me. So, how are we getting out of here, Chico Pez?"

Percy looked to the rising sun. "I haven't thought about that. But I know how they'll leave camp."

Elisa and Percy made it to the top of a hill in time to see a white van disappearing down a farm road. Elisa sighed and turned to Percy.

"I don't suppose camp has another van to take," she said.

Percy shook his head. "Neither of us can drive, anyway."

"Says you," said Elisa.

"You can drive?" Percy looked at her.

Elisa shrugged, looking around the snowy land. "Not legally."

That's when she heard the beating of huge wings. Part of her hoped it was some other god about to help them on their way but a black pegasus landed next to Percy. Elisa took a step back as it began casually nuzzling a few tufts of grass that stuck through the ice.

The pegasus neighed loudly.

Percy said, "Yeah. Let's fly."

"Oh," said Elisa, raising her eyebrows, "so you know how to fly a pegasus but me knowing how to drive a car is weird?"

Percy shook his head as he mounted the pegasus. "I never said it was weird," he denied. "I just didn't expect it."

The pegasus neighed and Percy said, "That's Elisa. You don't mind giving her a ride, too?"

Elisa looked from the pegasus to Percy with a dumbfounded face. "I just know you're not talking to the horse."

"He's a pegasus! And his name is Blackjack!"

👑 JUNE 1ST, 2022 / some parts are STILL super messy, so i will def go back and edit at some point but nico and elisa <33

edit on oct, 4th, '22: still messy lmaoo