#cave of trophonius

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 28 (SPOILERS)

"getting an elephant into the Waystation was not as hard as I'd imagined." Yeah, of course it wasn't. This building literally materializes whatever size or shape entrance you need.

"a stream wending through the middle of the room" Did he misspell "winding"? No, apparently. WEND (v.): go in a specified direction, typically slowly or by an indirect route

"The Real Elephants of the African Veld" VELD (n.): open, uncultivated country or grassland in southern Africa. It is conventionally classified by altitude into highveld, middleveld, and lowveld imo it should've just been called "midveld."

"back to the main hall, where a crown had gathered . . . The rest of the freed prisoners milled around" This is such a nice, peaceful, happy scene that I'm sad it's not going to last. At least we got *checks book* two full pages of people being happy.

"The griffins allowed him to scratch under their beaks--a sign of great trust" Maybe Jamie isn't a bad guy after all? I'm still skeptical. "especially since they were guarding and egg in their neest (and no doubt worried that Sssssarah might see it)." I don't think even Sssssarah could swallow an egg that big, but she might try.

"a different green dress and jeans" Did you just say she's wearing a dress over jeans?

"Lady Artemis has been watching you." "Oh, no . . . You can tell my beloved sister to back off." You tell 'er, Apollo!

"Father!" Hehe oh noooooo "This isn't prophecy. This has never happened before--" Has Emmie been to the Cave of Trophonius a lot? How does she know?

"You sent this little sister of mine to do your errands?" Uhh. I'm guessing not on the mom's side, huh? When she said "Father" I was like OMG she's Apollo's kid! And then when it turned out to be Trophonius talking, that worry went away and SURPRISE NOW IT'S BACK! Interesting to note that Trophonius doesn't know that Georgina wasn't sent by Apollo. He doesn't know as much as you'd expect an Oracle to know.

"I wonder, Father, to whom will you pray?" True. To whom do the gods pray?

"the recovery rate for supplicants of Trophonius" SUPPLICANT (n.): one who supplicates Fuck you too, Merriam-Webster. Cambridge Dictionary says, SUPPLICANT (n.): a person who asks a god or someone who is in a position of power for something in a humble way

"No one had reported a missing baby girl like her. Her birth parents either didn't want her or couldn't raise her" Or was secretly a serial killer on the run who couldn't raise a child. Sounds about right with Apollo's standards for flings. Bad Decisions Box <- Georgina's biological mortal parent & Georgina's subsequent abandonment

"enter the Cavern of Prophecy." We're finally going innnnnnnn! Death and madness, here we come! Eat it like well-cooked ramen!

"I'm not sure." "All hail the god of prophecy!" Got nothing to say, just wanted to highlight that little bit.

"tracking devices I put on your griffins" Gee thanks, Lit. "first thing tomorrow morning. He'll wipe this place off the map." Can't thank ya more, Lit.

I feel like someone is definitely getting sealed in that cave. There's never a cave in a story without a rockfall or cave-in also happening and someone getting shut inside a stony tomb, never to be seen again.

[literallyjusttoa]

Randomly thinking about Apollo and Herophile? I need to reread TBM but my brain has decided they are besties. Plus I like to think after the trials Apollo meets up with his oracles a lot more to make sure nothing like that happens again, so him, Rachel, Ella, and Herophile spend a lot of time gossiping about the future. Like “Omg guys can you believe what Ares is gonna do in two weeks??? So embarrassing 😳”

[incorrect-sunflower-sibs]

Lester: I’m such a cutie-pie it’s a bummer that I’m insane.

[the-tortured-apollo-department]

It's been a while since i talked about The Trials of Apollo! 😛

A very good scene in the 2nd book came to mind, which is when Apollo realizes he should have brought tater tots to distract the thousands of snakes in Trophonius's cave 🐍👹

As a reader, this part left me paralyzed.

I think it was the first time in the books that someone didn't have all the materials for a mission... And that led to one of the most BEAUTIFUL moments of this series, which was Meg singing to save herself and her friend from death

A simple action that took the character (and the reader) out of his comfort zone and forced him to improvise

THIS IS CINEMA 🙌

[money-and-dandellions]

I am totally fine

...Lester, who saw that Meg was like him, while observing her and her Beast...

...(and who didn't admit to himself, that he had a Beast too)...

...Meg who was so scared and worried out of her mind that Lester is in dander and is going to die in the cave of Trophonius that she kept trying to catch his attention and started singing in order to guarantee his safety...

...Lester, who selflessly agreed to give his life only if Meg is going to live; and then proceeded to put himself under risk of being suffocated...

...Meg who was helplessly watching how [her] dummy stabbed himself in the heart and fell limb (I am sure that for a second she was not sure if it was the end or not)...

...Lester who watched people he knew only for a few hours were killed for his sake, clearly not understanding why they would sacrifice themselves for him ("and, for some reason, Jason Grace decided that I would not die today too")...

...Meg, who was watching how her best friend was dying from poison; she didn't want him to die, she cried because she didn't want him to die...

...Lester who helped her to kill her Beast Nero... (I am sure that he is very proud of this achievement of hers)

...Lester, who promised her to come back, no matter what, because the sun always comes back...

Apollo, who did.

They, who became each other's family, because their families are shit (not all of the people/gods).

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Weather is getting cold and I keep showering at night I love to suffer -Danny Words: 2,367 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

XXVII: At the Next Inconvenience, I Will Start Biting People

"Apollo, show them your talking arrow."

"Talking arrow?" Emmie asks with interest.

"I will not show them my talking arrow," Lester frowns. "I will, however, share the limerick."

"No!" Calypso and Leo cover their ears dramatically.

"There once was a god named Apollo—Who plunged in a cave blue and hollow—Upon a three-seater—The bronze fire-eater—Was forced death and madness to swallow."

Jo frowns. "Never before has any voice dared to utter a limerick in this house, Apollo."

"And let us hope no one will ever do so again. But such was the prophecy of Dodona that brought us here."

"'A cave blue and hollow'... That's the Oracle of Trophonius, all right. It's located in the Bluespring Caverns, about eighty miles south of town."

"Easiest quest ever, then," Leo grins. "We get Festus running, then we look up this place on Google Maps and fly down there."

"Doubtful," Josephine sighs. "The emperor has the surrounding countryside heavily guarded. You couldn't fly a dragon anywhere near Bluespring without getting shot out of the sky. Even if you could, the cave entrances are all way too small for a dragon to plunge into."

"But the limerick—"

"May be deceptive," Lester shakes his head. "It is, after all, a limerick."

Ara eats and spaces out. At first, she's not paying attention to what she's putting in her mouth, until she takes a bite and the taste makes her spit it back onto the plate. Fortunately no one notices, but she stares at it confused. Five seconds ago the bread tasted good, homemade. Now it had an awful flavour, like sand mixed with rice cakes. She gulps down the lemonade to wash it down and chokes on it. That tastes even worse.

"No, no, no..." She closes her eyes and buries her nails in the soft flesh of her knees, not drawing blood, just marking them. The spots are purple, which tells her human blood is still pumping through her veins. It grounds her and makes her feel like a normal person.

Ara grabs her fork and stabs a piece of fried onion. The bite explodes in her tastebuds like it always does. Sweet. She seizes her drink and takes a large gulp again. Sweet and fresh. Ara places the glass on the table.

The conversation around her stops as the windows darken for a second. Jo and Emmie leave the table to check the entrance and Ara does too, but the ladies stop her. "Look after your friends," Jo tells her. "Our job is to look after our home."

"Their calling." The voice washes over Ara like a bucket of ice-cold water. Slowly, she turns to the right and spots Janus, leaning against the kitchen counter. They wave at her, smiling in a lazy manner, they lack their usual malice, but Ara feels threatened nonetheless. "Cheer up, General, there is only one last choice to make, the easiest."

"You've given up everything to get here," Right smirks. "All but one thing."

"What is it?" Ara asks under her breath. "What's the crossroad?"

Lester looks at her. "What?"

Janus goes away and Ara's hand buries in her pocket, squeezing Almighty. Jo and Emmie call Lester in a sort of suspicious voice, so Ara follows and watches the boy get trapped into a net, squealing like a preschooler. The girl draws out her sword but Lester screams at her to stand back, so she does. Leo and Calypso come out of the kitchen to see what's happening and they witness a goddess undo the trap. The group quickly goes to the boy to make sure he's okay. 

"Who is this lady?" Leo gives the woman the stinkeye.

"Britomartis," Lester grunts. "The Lady of Nets."

"Does that include basketball and the Internet?"

"Just hunting and fishing nets. She is one of my sister's minions."

"Minion? I am no minion."

"No, you'd have to be yellow and tiny," Ara responds. "You're just a bully."

Jo clears her throat. "Uh, sorry, Apollo. The Lady insisted on getting your attention this way."

"Well, I had to see if he would step in my trap. And he did. As usual. Hemithea, Josephine... give us the room, please." The goddess regards Ara with interest, and the girl has the gross feeling that every god-like entity knows happening to her. She's naked and they're all judging her, an emperor's new clothes kind of situation.

The women back off and Ara eyes them with unease. It never ends, having to listen. Even when you cut ties with one god, others come to bother you. What kind of life is she going to be facing?

"Britomartis, eh? Never heard of you," Calypso says haughtily. She has trouble remembering she shouldn't speak like that to other gods. "You must be minor."

"Oh, but I've heard of you, Calypso. Exiled to Ogygia after the Titan War. Waiting for whatever man might wash up on your shores to break your heart and leave you alone again. That must have gotten terribly old." She looks at Leo. "This is your rescuer, eh? A bit short and scruffy for a knight in shining armor."

"Hey, lady," Leo takes the comment about his height personally, like always. "I've blown up way more powerful goddesses than you before."

"He's my friend," Calypso defends him. "Not my knight in shining armor."

"Yeah!" Leo continues.

"Although he is short and scruffy."

He frowns. "Girl, I'm taller than you."

"May I ask what is it that you need from us?" Ara asks so the rest can focus.

"Whenever my sister wanted to design some elaborate contraption—something twisted and dangerous—she was her go-to girl," Lester explains. "This is her house."

The goddess bows playfully. "You flatter me. Now come, my friends! Let's sit and talk!"

They all get closer to the couches and chairs, but Leo glances at them, scowls, and extends his arm to stop Calypso and Ara from sitting. "Hold up," he pulls a yardstick from his tool belt and hits one cushion. A bear trap snaps shut and makes the girls yelp. Ara was so distracted sulking that only now she noticed the faint glitter hovering over the couch.

"Are you kidding?" Calypso snaps at the older woman.

"Oops!" Britomartis giggles.

"There's a trip wire along the back of those cushions, too. Does that... Does that trigger a Bouncing Betty?" Leo asks in disbelief.

"You're good! Yes, indeed. That is a modified pressure-activated S-mine."

"Lady, if that went off, it would bounce three feet in the air, explode, and kill all of us with shrapnel."

"Exactly!" Britomartis smiles. "Leo Valdez, you'll do nicely."

Ara glances at him, that's exactly what she thought of him once, lifetimes ago. Leo mutters complaints while deactivating the traps, and Ara can't help swooning. She loves it when he sees traps without having to touch anything, she still thinks it's the coolest thing ever. Her skin lights up golden and flushes, even after all this time, her attraction is just as strong as it was a winter ago.

"Is that safe?" Lester asks, bringing her back from her fangirling.

Leo makes a little noise of approval and Ara notices he's looking at Lester weirdly. He's moody. "Yeah. Looks okay."

Britomartis grins once everyone's seated. "Well, isn't this nice?"

"No."

"You asked me why I sent Jo and Emmie away. I love them dearly, but I don't think they'd appreciate the quest I'm about to give you."

"Quest?" Calypso arches a brow. "I'm pretty sure I'm an older divinity than you, Bouncing Betty. What right do you have to give me a quest?"

Ara glances at her with exasperation. So far they've encountered nothing but monsters and two former hunters, so Ara wasn't fussy about the way Calypso spoke to any of them, but this is a goddess and deities are fickle. Calypso shouldn't anger one before figuring out whether she's an ally or foe.

"Aren't you cute. Hon, I was around when the ancient Greeks were living in caves. I started out as a Cretan goddess. When the rest of my pantheon died out, Artemis befriended me. I joined her Hunters and here I am, thousands of years later, still weaving my nets and setting my traps."

"Yes," Lester mutters. "Here you are."

"Dear Apollo, you really do make a darling Lester Papadopoulos. Come here."

"Don't tease me," he sulks, and Ara sees his soul light for the first time. It's not the color she'd expected from a sun god, but a light baby blue that reminds her of an early sky, which still makes perfect sense.

"I'm not! Now that you're a harmless mortal, I've decided to finally give you that kiss."

Lester shakes his head, but Ara can sense his longing. "You're tricking me. I won't do it."

"When have I ever tricked you?"

"Thebes! You promised to meet me in the forest for a romantic picnic. Instead I was trampled by a giant wild boar!"

"That was a misunderstanding."

"What about the Ingrid Bergman incident?"

"Oh, she really did want to meet you. How was I to know someone had dug a Burmese tiger pit outside her trailer?"

"And the date with Rock Hudson?"

"Well, I never actually said he was waiting for you in the middle of that minefield. I just let you assume. You have to admit, though, the two of you would've made a cute couple."

"Rock Hudson," Leo holds back a grin. "In a minefield."

"Apollo was so adorable, skipping through the daisies until he exploded," Britomartis giggles.

"In case you've forgotten, I am no longer immortal. So, please, no Burmese tiger pits."

"I wouldn't dream of it! No, this quest isn't designed to kill you. It might kill you, but it's not designed to. I just want my griffins back."

"You mean the whole lot?" Ara asks, resigned to obey and wanting to get out of this conversation as soon as possible.

"Heloise and Abelard will do just fine, thank you," she pauses. "Well, actually, General, the Emperor has been capturing mythical animals from all over the Midwest to use in his diabolic games. They must be freed."

"Don't know why I asked," she mutters grumpily.

Leo fidgets with the pieces of landmine he deactivated. "You're putting your griffins' safety ahead of Jo and Emmie's daughter."

"Jo and Emmie's priorities have been compromised. They would not be able to hear this, but the griffins must come first. I have my reasons. Being a goddess, my needs take precedence. And you," she smiles at Ara, "are forced to listen."

"And I'm the only one not opposing, as you can tell," Ara says soberly.

"Which proves you are wise. As for your friends..." She sighs. "I promised Artemis I would try to help you three, but don't test my patience. You'd look wonderful as northern crested newts."

"And if we find these griffins?" Lester asks.

"Then I'll tell you how to infiltrate the emperor's lair. Being the goddess of traps, I know all about secret entrances!"

"How is that a fair trade?" He demands with outrage.

"Because, you adorable Lester, you need to infiltrate the palace to rescue Georgina and the other prisoners. Without them, the Waystation is doomed, and so are your chances of stopping the Triumvirate. Also, the palace is where you'll find the Throne of Memory. If you can't retrieve that, your trip to the Cave of Trophonius will kill you. You'll never save the other Oracles. You'll never get back to Mount Olympus."

"And I'll never go home..." Ara mumbles, but Lester hears it.

He turns to Leo. "I'm new to this heroic-quest business. Shouldn't there be a reward at the end? Not just more deadly quests?"

"Nope," Leo smiles with no real empathy for the boy. "This is pretty standard."

Lester's eyes linger on Ara, who's now glaring at her fingernails. "What would you have us do? Wouldn't these griffins be held at the emperor's palace? Couldn't we do some one-stop shopping?"

"Oh, no. The really important animals, the rare and valuable ones... the emperor keeps those in a special facility with the proper resources to care for them. The Indianapolis Zoo."

Ara hums. "Never infiltrated a Zoo before. I did get chased by killer baby chickens once, when Percy and I were eight."

Lester decides that's too much to unpack so he turns back to the goddess. "The griffins will be well guarded..."

"Absolutely! So please try to release the griffins before you get injured or killed. Also, you must hurry—"

"Here comes the time limit," Leo narrates for Lester's benefit. "There's always a time limit."

"In three days," Britomartis nods, "the emperor plans to use all the animals and prisoners in one massive celebration."

"A naming ceremony," Lester guesses. "Nanette, the blemmyae who almost killed us, she mentioned something about that."

"Indeed. This emperor... he loves naming things after himself. At the ceremony, he plans to rechristen Indianapolis."

Ara rubs her brow and sighs. "Their dicks must be so small..."

"The blemmyae mentioned something else," Lester continues, already an expert at ignoring her. "The emperor wanted to sacrifice two special prisoners. Me and the girl."

"Georgina," Cal says with worry.

"Exactly!" Britomartis smiles. "The girl is safe enough for now. Imprisoned and insane, yes, but alive. You concentrate on freeing my griffins. Go to the zoo at first light. The emperor's guards will be ending their night shift then. They'll be tired and inattentive."

"Alright," Ara nods slowly. "Leo and I can—"

"Actually, Leo Valdez must remain here, General," Britomartis says with delight.

"Say what?" Leo straightens his posture.

"You've proven yourself skilled with traps! Emmie and Josephine need your help. The Waystation has defied discovery by the emperor so far, but that won't last much longer. He can't tolerate any opposition. He will find this sanctuary. And he means to destroy it. You, Leo Valdez, can help shore up the defenses."

"But—"

"It'll be fine," Ara assures him, although the quest will be like crawling through concrete blindfolded without his aid. Nevertheless, she needs to test things, see how she handles leaving Leo behind... just out of pure curiosity.

"Cheer up!" Britomartis beams. "You can go with your lord Apollo, and Calypso is allowed to join. Two former immortals and..." her smile turns playful. "Your rising star, on a quest for me! Yes, I like that idea a lot."

Lester and Calypso hold back their protests for Ara's sake, suspecting she and Leo are far more upset by this arrangement. Ara nods curtly. "Consider it done."

"It's settled, then!" The goddess stands. "I'll meet you back here when you have my griffins. Don't fail me, mortals!" She says giddily. "Oh, I've always wanted to say that!"

Britomartis vanishes in a flash, and Ara visibly deflates, running a hand over her face. "Alright, let's get everything ready."

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh @ebony-reine-vibes

[butterfly7267]

Moon the Light of Hope - Curiosities

1. Her full name is Moon Rachel Celebriz Butterfly

2. Her wand tastes like vanilla

3. She was rarely the "bad cop" when it came to raising children

4. Despite her openness in communication, she values ​​loyalty to her romantic partner very much

5. She hates fortune telling after the Trophonius Cave incident

6. She has always had only formal relationships between other Houses in the Butterfly Kingdom

7. She enjoyed being a constant muse for her husband's drawings

I express my deep gratitude to the artist Mysteru (DeviantArt) for help

[apollosothertwin]

As I’m rereading the books I had this thought that Rick foreshadowed Meg almost dying in the Cave of Trophonius when he sees Styx. Mean, she does say, “you will PAY for your broken promises” right before the get in. (The PAY is in all-caps in the books too)

[bogusfilth]

honestly one of the best bits of this edition is the contextual footnotes. for instance:

8. St. Jerome, most erudite and least saintly of the early church fathers, was notes, if not always admired, for his strident polemical tone.

2. Nectar, nepenthe, and (not mentioned here) ambrosia are food and drink for the classical gods. After descending into the legendary cave of Trophonius in search of truth, an ancient Greek traditionally emerged with a bad case of the blues.

2. Socrates, accused of impiety by bigots, was forced to drink the poison hemlock.

2. The virgins of Miletus were reported to hang themselves in unusual numbers for no particular reason.

3. The bees do not, as it happens, have a republic. They are a gynocratic monarchy, ruled by a queen. But Folly is folowing Virgil (Georgic 4), not nature.

[burgercheese1812]

Here is a question for all the Trials of Apollo readers out there:

How the hell did Georgina get to the Cave of Trophonius?

Like yeah, we know that she got there by herself without Emmie and Jo knowing and then went into the cave and went crazy and stuff, but HOW did she get there??

Meg and Apollo had to drive for like 2 hours or something to get to the cave, granted they got lost, but still, it was about an hour’s drive out of the city.

Did she take a bus? Did she walk?? Did she Hotwire a car??? Has Jo shown her how to Hotwire a car?

I just need a short story of Georgina’s adventure to the cave. I need more Waystation content period. Otherwise I’m taking matters into my own hands.

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 37 (SPOILERS)

I just reread the last sentence of chapter 36, "At last, things were looking up!" and I immediately know that this chapter is going to be a hot disaster.

"Your favorite fruit? / I hope you didn't say grapes / Or apples, or figs" I also immediately know that this chapter is going to heavily feature Peaches.

"one last vile curse like, Oh, gosh darn it." Ashamed to say that this would be me.

"whanged against the hulls of the barges" WHANG (v.): make or produce a resonant noise Gotta get my mind out of the gutter. Of course it doesn't mean what you'd first think it means. Wait, they have room for barges down there? Aren't those boats kind of big to fit in a cave? I didn't think they updated to 1.18 already.

"Oh my gods! Look over there!" Yeah, my brain would work about as effectively if I were in the same situation. "so they executed a full one-hundred-and-eighty-degree waddle." Oh yeah, that's actually exponentially more effective on blemmyae. I wonder if anyone else has tried that on them before.

"I was fairly sure I hadn't caused the ceiling to crack and collapse." Peaches! "Blind luck?" Peaches! "Or perhaps the spirit of Trophonius had granted me one last grudging favor for destroying his cave." No, Peaches!

"'Hmm?' I asked. 'What friend?'" Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss

"crushing my ulna and radius together." The definitions are too long, so to summarize: These are the two bones in your forearm. The ULNA is thinner and longer and on the opposite side as your thumb. The RADIUS is thicker and shorter and on the same side as your thumb.

"More likely, though, they were already in the area" "They"? Peaches is a "he," right? "Three karpoi" Oh, our dear Peaches brought friends. What are they, Apples and Figs? "three peach spirits" Oh no, they're all peaches. What do we refer to them as now? They're all Peaches!

Peaches ex machina

"I'm Apollo." "Peaches pointed to his friend on the right. 'Peaches.' Then to the baby demon on his left. 'Peaches.'" That's what I frickin' thought.

"I realized I wasn't going to be driving anywhere." Why not? Humans drive one-handed all the time. Apollo especially, being such a prolific driver of the sun chariot every day, should be able to drive one-handed easily. "Then I passed out." Okay, now he's not going to be driving anywhere.

[your-local-squip-fanatic]

Official art of Apollo falling into Trophonius' cave by John Rocco! Credit to Riordan Wiki

ALSO IM SORRY FOR BAD QUALITY DAMN IT

[incorrect-sunflower-sibs]

Lester (In the cave of Trophonius): Here’s a fact for all my friends. Butter, ice cream, milk, and cheese all come from the same animal. I can’t remember which animal it is right now but I know for sure it’s the same one.

Meg: I’ll give you a hint, it moos.

Lester: Thanks yeah it’s the moose.

[bechdelexam]

Like cicadas, bees had a number of associations significant for necromancy: they were held to emerge from the carcasses of dead humans or animals; they were thought to live in caves; they had prophetic powers of their own, and had notably revealed the quasi-necromantic oracle of Trophonius. Swarms of ghosts were even visualized as swarms of bees in necromantic contexts. Another Corinthian Melissa, an old woman to whom Persephone's mother Demeter had entrusted her rites, was destroyed, like Periander's wife, by the envy of her peers, who tore her apart. Demeter accordingly caused bees to be born from her body, in a sort of ghostly resurrection.

🐝🐝🐝

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: I forgot to queue this i apologize -Danny Words: 2,122 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Your Needs, My Needs' -by Noah Kahan

XIII: Can't Blame a Bitch for Trying

"They won't," Lily places a firm hand on Ara's shoulder. "They're underestimating Ara's power. To get her they would need her to—"

"Wait, wait, which oracles are we looking for, exactly?" Ara interrupts feeling lightheaded. "We have to find all of them?"

"Well, one was the Sybil of Cumae. You know, she wrote the Sibylline Books—those prophecies that Ella the harpy memorized."

"A harpy..." Meg frowns. "Like those chicken ladies who clean up after lunch?"

"Ella is a very special harpy, Meg," Chiron explains. "Years ago, she somehow came across a copy of the prophetic books, which we thought were burned before the Fall of Rome. Right now, our friends at Camp Jupiter are trying to reconstruct them based on Ella's recollections."

"And the other three Oracles?" Rachels demands. "I'm sure none of them was a beautiful young priestess whom you praised for her... what was it? ...'scintillating conversation'?"

"Rachel, come on, that's what you decided to get hung up on?" 

"How would you feel if there were another four children of Olympus walking the earth?"

"I'd be ecstatic," Ara retorts. "Let's hang out and make a schedule, I want Sundays."

"Ahem!" Apollo continues with a scowl. "There was an Oracle at Erythaea, and another at the Cave of Trophonius..."

"Goodness," Chiron says in a nostalgic voice. "I'd forgotten about those two."

"And the fifth," Apollo sighs, "was the Grove of Dodona."

"A grove," Meg straightens in her spot. "Like trees."

"Yes, Meg, like trees. Groves are typically composed of trees, rather than, say, Fudgsicles. Dodona was a stand of sacred oaks planted by the Mother Goddess in the first days of the world. They were ancient even when the Olympians were born."

"The Mother Goddess?" Rachel crosses her arms. "Please tell me you don't mean Gaea."

"No, thankfully. I mean Rhea, Queen of the Titans, the mother of the first generation of Olympian gods. Her sacred trees could actually speak. Sometimes they issued prophecies."

"The voices in the woods," Meg points out.

"Exactly. I believe the Grove of Dodona has regrown itself here in the woods at camp. In my dreams, I saw a crowned woman imploring me to find her Oracle. I believe it was Rhea, though I still don't understand why she was wearing a peace symbol or using the term dig it."

"A peace symbol?" Chiron frowns.

"A large brass one."

Rachel hums. "If Rhea is a Titan, isn't she evil?"

"Not all Titans were bad," Apollo argues. "Rhea was a gentle soul. She sided with the gods in their first great war. I think she wants us to succeed. She doesn't want her grove in the hands of our enemies." 

"My friend, Rhea has not been seen for millennia—"

"That's not true," Ara frowns. "Zeus had her over for brunch last year, around August."

"I meant in relation to humans," Chiron specifies. 

"But then how come her trees are regrowing?" Lily points out. "If no one is paying her any mind?"

"Many things from the old days have survived or regenerated," Apollo recalls. "The Labyrinth has rebuilt itself. Why couldn't a grove of sacred trees spring up again right here in this valley?"

"Because the things that tend to regrow around here are either summoned or controlled by us," Ara says. "So if Rhea didn't cause this, then the oracles went berserk the moment you vanished, and they're all gaining the strength you lost."

"But then I would be working nonstop," Rachel pouts. "And I feel no new strength coming."

"This is all weird." Meg sinks on her seat. "So if the tree voices are sacred and stuff, why are they making people get lost?"

"For once, you ask a good question." Apollo taunts her. "In the old days, the priests of Dodona would take care of the trees, pruning them, watering them, and channeling their voices by hanging wind chimes in their branches."

"How would that help?"

"I don't know. I'm not a tree priest. But with proper care, these trees could divine the future." 

"And without proper care?" Rachel asks hesitantly.

"The voices were unfocused. A wild choir of disharmony." 

"Insane trees," Ara runs a hand over her face. "Insane trees are taking our campers."

Apollo scowls. "Untended, the grove could most definitely drive mortals to madness, yes. Have you always been this—"

"Smart?"

"Close! I was thinking snappy and sarcastic."

"So our missing campers are wandering in the trees," Chiron intervenes once again, "perhaps already insane from the voices."

"Or they're dead," Meg suggests.

"No." Apollo says promptly. "No, they are still alive. The Beast is using them, trying to bait me."

"How can you be sure?" Rachel presses. "And why? If Python already controls Delphi, why are these other Oracles so important?"

"The more you have of a thing, it gives you an advantage over others," Ara reasons. "If these guys have been working on each war we've fought, they're tired of losing. Owning the oracles means they own the future."

Apollo stares at her pouting. "Fine, you are smart. Without a way to see and direct our fates, we will wither and die—gods and mortals alike, anyone who opposes the Triumvirate."

Meg takes off her shoes and hangs upside down from her seat just like Ara does at home. "They're strangling our taproots."

Ara holds back a smile. "You're also really smart, tiny."

"As for why the Grove of Dodona is so important," Apollo gets grumpier. "Python mentioned that it was the one Oracle he could not control. I don't understand exactly why—perhaps because Dodona is the only Oracle that has no connection with me. Its power comes from Rhea. So if the grove is working, and it is free of Python's influence, and it is here at Camp Half-Blood—"

"It could provide us with prophecies." Chiron seems excited. "It could give us a chance against our enemies."

"Of course, we'd rather have our beloved Oracle of Delphi working again. And we will, eventually. But for now, the Grove of Dodona could be our best hope." Apollo nods.

"Aren't prophecies all twisted and mysterious and murky, and people die trying to escape them?" Meg asks.

Ara shakes her head. "I had a curse, and two years ago I got a prophecy. Curse is gone now, all thanks to it."

"Besides, the Grove of Dodona is a benevolent force," Apollo adds. "It has helped heroes before. The masthead of the original Argo, for instance, was carved from a branch of the sacred trees. It could speak to the Argonauts and give them guidance."

"Would've been nice to have on ours..." Ara grumbles.

"You had a ship?" Meg asks in awe. 

"I'll tell you about it later."

Chiron hums. "That's why our mysterious Beast wants the grove burned." 

"Apparently," Apollo shrugs. "And that's why we have to save it."

Meg slips sideways and kicks the table, spilling their food over their feet. "Oops."

Ara crouches to pick up the stuff. "Sit up, Meg. Put on your shoes."

While the girl obeys and Ara cleans up, Chiron continues. "Apollo... If you are right about Dodona, how do we proceed? We are already shorthanded. If we send search teams into the woods, we have no guarantee they'll come back."

Meg sits up. "We'll go. Apollo, the General, and me."

By General, Ara realizes she's talking about her. "Oh. Yeah, I think that's right."

"We—we will?" Apollo stammers.

"You said you gotta do a bunch of trials or whatever to prove you're worthy, right? This'll be the first one."

Ara smiles, pleased about dragging a god to a demigod quest. "Meg is a daughter of Demeter, so the forest is probably not that dangerous to her. I'm the daughter of Olympus but I have no, er, gardening blessings. I have Dionysus's, though, so maybe that'll keep me from going insane."

"I'll go too," Lily says.

"Absolutely not," Ara frowns. "We can't leave camp without a demigod in charge, you know that."

"Nico can stay!"

Ara stares at her pointedly. "Nico's not cut out for it. You have experience with this."

"No," Lily says gravely. "There is safety in numbers, Ara."

"There is tragedy in them too," she states. "Michael understood it way better than us. Someone has to stay, to make sure things run the right course. Chiron?"

"She's right," their mentor concedes. "Ara has experience fighting unaided and camp needs you, Lily. I'd go as far as to say Ara, you, and Nico are our triumvirate, which can work if one of you is gone, but not if we're missing most of it."

"And Olympus can work without the sun god," Ara looks at Apollo. "But not without prophecies."

Rachel holds his hand imploringly. "Apollo, you have to try. If we can get a glimpse of the future... well, it may be the only way to get things back to normal... I'd like to have a future again."

Chiron sighs. "What do you need from us, Ara? You can't take Lily, but anything else..."

"You two," Ara points at Apollo and Meg. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you once I've got everything. I'll pack."

"What about you?" Meg asks.

"I'm not tired," Ara shrugs. "I haven't used any of my blessings at all, so my battery is full, don't worry about me."

Chiron rises, Ara and Lily quickly joining him. "This evening, then. Rest and prepare, my heroes. I fear you will need all your strength and wits for what comes next." 

"Anything you'd like to say before I go?" 

Ara questions as they walk out of the Big House carrying three medium-size backpacks. Hers used to belong to Mike, but Lily took it from the bridge and has been using it since. They switched bags so Lily is currently holding her Octopus. It's their way of blessing each other.

Lily shrugs. "Would it make a difference?"

"It would make you feel lighter opposite to, you know, waiting for the eulogy."

"Dude, can you not?" Lily scowls. "I am not happy about this arrangement."

"I know."

After a few moments of walking in silence, Lily continues. "They might try to get you using Leo."

"I'm aware."

"Don't allow that."

"I have priorities, believe it or not," Ara pushes her hair back each time it falls over her eyes. "Campers first."

Lily glances at her unconvinced. "Are you taking Pollo with you?" 

"Should I?"

"It would be wise."

"Then I'm taking him."

They reach the edge of the forest, where everyone else is waiting. "Good luck, Queen B."

"You can do better than that," Ara retorts playfully.

"How about this?" Nico speaks behind them. "If you let yourself die, I'm telling Leo you called him your ex-boyfriend."

"What?" Ara exclaims. "I never said that!"

Nico smirks. "You'd need to be here to tell him that, right?"

Ara scowls. "Ass."

He places the purple cloak on her shoulders. "Break a leg."

"You see this rain?" Ara looks over her shoulder at Apollo. "That's daddy saying he's having a great time watching you suffer and I'm getting caught in it."

"Don't ever call him my daddy," Apollo grumbles in a foul mood.

"The campers were so generous to you, and you don't deserve it," Ara keeps going. "Harley made that ukulele and Paolo gave you his good-luck bandana. That is some top-tier gift-giving. All goes to the god that's responsible for the losses of last year."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Apollos presses both hands over his ears. "I know you hate me for what happened to Michael!"

Ara whirls around. "What?"

"I knew there was something about you and my cabin that I couldn't quite place," Apollo squints, walking up to her until they're face to face. "And after you mentioned Michael at Rachel's cave I remembered. He promised to make you a daughter of Olympus, and you think I killed him."

"Well, the fates and you love working together, and from what I've seen, you have no issue throwing demigods to active fires. Especially, if they're your kids."

"I didn't kill Michael! He wasn't as flashy as I would've liked, and he didn't like music much unless it was for healing, but I would never—"

"Never?" Ara steps closer. "Never?"

Apollo hesitates, knowing that's not entirely true. "H-He chose his fate."

"There is no choosing with gods," Ara glares at him. "Only illusions of free will. Meg, don't stay behind!"

The girl runs up to stand next to her and sticks her tongue out at Apollo, not following the conversation but understanding that he made Ara mad, and that's enough to be angry at him in solidarity. 

"You don't get to talk about him," Ara warns Apollo quietly so Meg can't hear. "His memory, what I did and didn't do, haunted me for a whole year. Only I know what Mike and I had, only I know why I'll always be angry about his death, not you. Don't ever talk about Michael, you didn't know him."

Ara knows there's no use in snapping at Apollo, but he's an outlet, an opportunity to make a small fraction of Olympus feel at least a particle of all the guilt and frustration she's felt in her shortcomings.

Apollo stands there in anger, then thunder strikes and he jumps, running to catch up with them.

Next Chapter –>

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[rfallfish]

When I was very young and in the cave of Trophonius I forgot to laugh. Then, when I got older, when I opened my eyes and saw the real world, I began to laugh and I haven’t stopped since. I saw that the meaning of life was to get a livelihood, that the goal of life was to be a High Court judge, that the bright joy of love was to marry a well-off girl, that the blessing of friendship was to help each other out of a financial tight spot, that wisdom was what the majority said it was, that passion was to give a speech, that courage was to risk being fined 10 rix-dollars, that cordiality was to say ‘You’re welcome’ after a meal, and that the fear of God was to go to communion once a year. That’s what I saw. And I laughed.

—Søren Kierkegaard