Brianna managed to find the car quickly. At least it wasn't too far away for them to hike quickly back to. They were slowed down a bit because of the injuries sustained from surviving the blast and the flood.

Finally, they made it to the car and Apollo placed Meg in the backseat. She was still twitching and muttering in pain. Despite cleansing Trophonius, the prophecy inside Meg was still raging madness in her mind and body.

"We need to get back to the Waystation and fast. I don't know how long Meg can last like this," Isra informed Apollo as she climbed into the back seat to tend to demigod girl.

"Please tell me your mom installed some kind of godly engine part to make this go super fast," Apollo begged as he turned the engine on and he took off back towards the city.

Isra shook her head. Her mother had been living like a mortal for centuries, she wouldn't risk a mechanic finding anything out of the ordinary under the hood. She also hoped they would have enough gas to get back. The night before Aletheia had gotten a full tank. Apollo tended to go over the speed limit, using more gas then was needed.

They drove in silence for about twenty miles, when there was a loud pop. The car swerved on the road, losing traction. Apollo slammed on the breaks, which you weren't supposed to do, which sent the car spinning.

"EASE OFF THE BRAKES!" Isra shouted at the teenager, who quickly did a she asked. "GRIP THE STEERING WHEEL AND SLOWLY BRING US TO THE SAFETY LANE, BY GRADUALLY LESSENING UP ON THE GAS!"

They managed to stop the spinning and get off into the safety lane. Luckily there were no cars coming down the highway so they could exam the tires. After turning on the car's hazard lights and using the parking break, they went to inspect the damage.

The right back tire was completely flat. Isra let out a sigh of exasperation. "Please tell me you can change a flat tire?"

"No, my chariot never needs its wheel's changed. I take it you don't know how to change a tire?"

"Oh, I know how. My mom taught me in case of an emergency. It's just easier to change one with some help," Isra explained. She unlocked the trunk and pulled out a fully inflated tire, lug wrench and a jack. "There should be wheel wedges in the glove box. Take them out and place them in front of the front wheels."

While Apollo did that, Isra knelt down and started using the lug wrench to remove the hubcap. Brianna noticed the car on the side of the road and flew down to see what the problem was. "Princess Isra, what is the matter? Is something wrong with the car?"

Isra nodded and explained the problem as she managed to loosen one lug nut. The griffin took a look at the lug nuts, calculating something. Nudging Isra aside, Brianna loosened the other lug nuts with her beak.

The mortal god helped get the jack in place and raised the car high enough for tire to be changed. Removing the lug nuts completely, Isra gently pulled off the flat tire, barely struggling with it.

Apollo helped her place the new tire on the car. Then Brianna slowly tightened the lug nuts partway. They partially lowered the car and finished tightening the lug nuts as far as they would go. Then they completely lowered it to the ground.

All that was left to do was replace the hubcap and store the supplies back in the trunk. Checking the tire pressure Isra announced there was enough pressure to get them back to Indianapolis as long as they didn't speed.

"We can't go slowly!" Apollo protested. He pointed to the back seat where Meg was twitching about and starting to unconsciously scratch her arms and losing a little bit of blood. "She needs the Throne of Memory right away!"

"We don't have a choice," the Persian girl insisted. "Spare tires are not meant to last very long distances. If we go to fast, the tire will give out and we don't have another spare. Besides, Brianna can't carry all three of us back."

Brianna nodded and showed her injured wing. She was losing more feathers, affecting her ability to fly. Carrying a passenger all the way back would make her loose more feathers faster, until she was grounded and vulnerable.

The city was still fifty two miles away. If they drove carefully and didn't run into any problems, they could make it back in about an hour and ten minutes. It wasn't ideal and it would take even longer if the griffin had to catch a ride on the roof of the car, but there was no other options. They had to have faith in their friends and family to keep Commodus out of the Waystation.

Neither one spoke to each other as they carefully drove back, besides the occasional update on how Meg was doing. Her whimpering had lessened slightly. The real problem was her skin was starting to lose color and she was starting to get a fever. She was attempting to scratch her leggings off, forcing Isra to improvise with the seatbelts to restrain her.

Maybe if I give her some ambrosia, her strength will return. She'll need it. Reaching into her pack, Isra found the small container of ambrosia she had packed earlier as emergency food. Breaking off a tiny piece, she shook Meg.

"Peaches, I need you. Ah!" Meg's eyes burst open. They weren't focused at all. "Get off me! Get off me you monster!" The twelve year old started pushing Isra and threw a punch that barely missed the girl's face.

"Meg, stop it! You need to eat this." By some miracle, the food got in Meg's mouth. It was disgusting to watch as Meg chewed her food with her mouth wide open. At last, she finished the piece of food. Her color had returned a little bit.

Before her eyes fluttered shut again, they had regained their focus. Meg slumped back down and returned to her unconscious state. Hopefully the ambrosia had bought her another hour until Meg's mind came completely undone.

There was a light thump on the roof of the car. Brianna's injured wing must have given out. "I wonder what the Mist will disguise her as?" she muttered to herself. She leaned back into the seat and found her bottle of water she had packed. Isra gulped down the cool, refreshing, liquid. Her throat started feeling better. After taking a few deep breaths, she tapped the driver's headrest. "Do you want any water?"

The teenage boy held his hand out and received the water bottle. Without taking his eyes off the road, he drank down the remaining water. His own coloring started to look better. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he sped up just a tiny bit.

Eventually, the car made it back to the city. Surprisingly, it was only about nine thirty in the morning. Seemed much longer to the occupants. "Park the car in a public lot near the Waystation. Meg should be relatively safe until we come back."

Apollo, Isra, and Brianna, ran towards the Waystation. There were the first responders calming down the horde. They were using the excuse there was a gas leak so Commodus's forces could attack unseen.

With no way to bypass the horde and the responders, the trio backtracked a few blocks to the secret entrance the Waystation had made for Isra to get to school unseen. The secret door was damaged, so instead of entering the building, they came outside in the front where a battle was taking place.

They were surprised by a male demigod of the House of Imperial Rome, charging at them. Apollo hit him with his combat ukulele knocking him out.

All around them battles were going on. On the roundabout stating on the fountain, was Jaime, battling a bunch of Cyclops. He moved like a true African warrior using a weapon, which resembled a double wide hockey stick. When he swung it, lighting came out of it, surprising the monsters.

The other Waystation defenders were starting to get the upper hand. Hunter Kowalski leaped from foe to foe, shooting down blemmyae, wolf headed warriors, and wild centaurs with ease. She had the uncanny ability to fire on the move, avoid counterstrikes and target her victims' kneecaps. Apollo looked impressed by her.

Several bulldozers had been destroyed, but not before they had knocked down parts of the building. Large amounts of ashes showed Festus had taken down the blemmyae. Leo's surprise defenses had also taken down scores of soldiers.

In the sky, about ten griffins soared. Some of them were attacking aerial drones while others fought monsters. On the ground in front of the entrance lay a dead griffin with gunshot wounds. Also littering the ground were a dozen mercenary bodies, who had been torn to pieces.

Near the hotel mail box, the dracaena Sssssarah was resting. Judging by the size of her belly and the dropped weapons near her, it appeared she had swallowed the Germani soldiers who had attacked her, whole. Behind her lay a clear path of destruction to the Waystation's main room.

The trio charged inside, trying their best to ignore the smell of death as they raced through the building. Everywhere you looked, the walls had holes in them. Smoke filled certain hallways, injured Hunters were being tended to, as the Waystation struggled to repair itself.

"This is true madness! How can anyone derive pleasure from this?" Isra shouted, stumbling over a dead body. It took all her willpower to keep from throwing up. Ignoring the blood stains on her clothes, she got back up. I need to get to Mom and make sure she's okay was Isra's only thought.

The group burst into the library and stopped. There laying on the large reading table, lay the body of Heloise. Her left wing was folded across her body like a shroud. Her head was bent in an unnatural angle.

The floor was covered in broken weapons, dented armor, and the remains of monsters. The contents of the room were strewn about, some of it still burning. Pipes had been exposed as water started to leak into the room.

"Oh Heloise, you gave your life destroying the hordes to protect your egg and us," Isra cried, her hands trembling as she stroked her friend's fur one last time.

Brianna rubbed her head against Heloise's and crooned softly. "Rest now Heloise. You have done your sacred duty. You will be honored for your sacrifice. Your chick will know of your bravery, and be protected by the pack." It was a traditional prayer that griffins said after losing a member of their pack, especially in battle.

Apollo payed his respects by kissing Heloise's beak. "There will be time to grieve later. We must continue on. The only way to stop this is to find Commodus."

The trio took another flight of stairs before storming into the main hall, taking in the eerily calm. Smoke billowed out hole in the roof, billowing from the griffin's loft where a bulldozer chassis, was, inexplicably, lodged nose down. Abelard wasn't in sight.

In Josephine's workshop sofas were overturned. Sharp blade cuts littered the workstation and the nearby walls. There were broken kitchen appliances had bullet holes in them. Some of the tools were sparking. It was heartbreaking.

In the main dining area was the real trouble, a standoff between the good and bad guys. On the end closest to them, Thalia had her bow drawn, while Lit brandished his sword. Calypso had her hands out, ready to cast a spell. Josephine had her gun Big Bertha aimed at the enemy. Aletheia was holding a flask of water from the Well of Truth, ready to splash the enemy with it.

On the other end was Commodus, smiling in pleasure despite a bleeding diagonal cut across his face. Imperial gold armor gleamed over his purple tunic. He held his blade, a gold spatha, casually at his.

On either side of him stood a Germanus bodyguard. The barbarian on the right had his arm clamped around Emmi's neck, his other hand pressing a pistol crossbow against her head. Georgina stood with her mother, who was hugging her tightly against her chest. The little girl was terrified.

On his left, the other bodyguard held Leo in a similar position. Behind them in heavy duty nets, were a trapped Griff and Quieta. Griff's flank was bloody and there was black powder of his eyes. Quieta's hands were tied behind her back and her battle fan was broken in two. She was glaring at Commodus with hatred.

"Hello Lester! Hello chibi, oh and your brought me a new animal to sacrifice. Now, that you're here, the fun can really begin."

The tension produced by the standoff as Thalia's fingers clenched her bowstring. A bead of, silvery sweat, traced down her face. "Say the word and I will bore a hole between this moron emperor's eyes."

Josephine shifted her grip on Big Bertha. Her coveralls were splattered with goo, dust, and blood. Her eyes were on her wife and daughter. "It's going to be okay. Just stay calm."

Calypso had her hands out as if she was going to weave. Her eyes were fixed on Leo, tinged with tears. She shook her head slightly at the group and mouthed to her boyfriend, don't be an idiot.

Lityerses stood next to Aletheia. His leg wound had started to bleed again, soaking through the bandages. His hair and clothes were scorched as if he'd run through a gauntlet of flamethrowers.

Aletheia had a calm look in her eyes. By now Commodus had to know she was a goddess, or he just didn't think she was much of a threat being a personification goddess. Either way, she was calculating the best time to use her powers to annihilate him.

"Everyone, lower your weapons. You don't want to accidentally hurt our friends," Apollo commanded tersely. He kept his eyes on Commodus, clenching his fists angrily.

Commodus chuckled. "Yes, you should all listen to Lester! Calypso dear, if you try to summon those wind spirits again, I will kill your little friend here."

Isra was impressed her new friend had been able to use such powerful magic in a short time. She drowned out Leo's protest that he wasn't small, something she sympathized with, whenever someone made fun of her height.

Commodus rolled his eyes at Leo, who would not shut up about having a plan to defeat them. Lifting two fingers, the emperor said, "Albatrix, if the demigod speaks again, you have my permission to shoot him."

Brianna screeched at Commodus. "You leave my Princess friends alone or I'm going to rip your internal organs out!"

"My love, don't provoke him! He's faster than you and much closer." Griff called out weakly. He was straining to get free, but was having no luck.

Commodus glared at the two griffins. "Sacrifices should be quiet and not interfere when I'm savoring my victory!" he snapped at the two. "Now, as we were discussing before Lester got here, I require the Throne of Memory. Where are you hiding it?"

Both Apollo and Isra were grateful the Waystation had managed to keep the throne hidden from the maniac. If he took it, Meg would most likely die of madness by the end of the day.

"Are you telling me," Apollo asked, "that your great army surrounded the Waystation, invaded it and couldn't even find a chair? Is this all that's left of your great army, your two bodyguards? What sort of emperor are you? Now your father, Marcus Aurelius, he was a great emperor."

While Commodus threw a temper tantrum about how much better he was then his father and despite his lost troops, he would still best them. While he was ranting and getting angrier, Isra spared a glance at her mom.

Aletheia tilted her head a fraction, so her line of sight was on her daughter's backpack. She returned her head to its original position, only for her eyes to land on her flask, then Apollo, before jerking her thumb at herself.

Instantly, Isra realized what her mom's plan was. Bravely, she stepped forward, moving in front of Apollo. The Germani bodyguards tightened their hold on the hostages, ready to kill them there and then, but Commodus held out his hand to stop them.

He looked the tiny teenager up and down, amusement on his face. "I can't believe I thought you were a daemon. Look at you! You're so small and pathetic I could kill you with my eyes closed!"

Isra didn't move or cower. "I am small, but I have a big heart. The griffins see me as their princess."

This made Commodus laugh even harder. He pointed his weapon at Griff and Brianna. "These dumb beasts, think you're a princess? That is the craziest thing I have ever heard of and believe me I know crazy! There is nothing special about you human! So what if you can summon a pack of griffins? All you've done has brought me more animals to slaughter at the naming ceremony, which I guess I owe you a thank you."

Isra's expression didn't change. She kept her eyes locked on to Commodous's. "Laugh at me if you want. Kill everyone here if you can. The truth won't be buried long. The answers you seek, will never be yours, if you destroy this place. Then again, if you can't even grasp who you truly are then it's no loss, unless you want to still best Apollo."

Isra studied her fingernails and changed her posture so she was looking the other way. As she predicted, Commodus lost his temper and threw his backup knife at her. Because she was so short, she ducked and her mom caught the weapon in her bare hands.

"Thank you for the offering Emperor Commodus. You have privilege of drinking from my sacred symbol." The goddess tossed the flask hard and Commodus caught it one handed.

Apollo was sure Commodus would toss it aside and attack them, but he didn't. Since Commodus hated him so much he was determined to best Apollo in every situation, including discovering the truth. "Can I be defeated by Lester Papadopoulos?" he asked in a mocking tone.

He gulped down the whole flask, smirking as the answer to his question entered his mind. "I knew it. You can never defeat me Lester! You shall die here as I take the city for myself."

Apollo saw Isra wink at him and so did his cousin. As if a music chord had popped into his mind, he knew what his cousin's plan was. Isra stepped backwards as Aletheia stood by the mortal god's side.

"The answer to your question is correct. You can't be defeated by Lester. However, you never asked if Apollo could defeat you, with the help of a partner. Everyone, close your eyes. My little rainbow, are you ready?"

Isra held the Mirror of Truth straight out in front of her. Her stance wide with a solid grip. All her friends' eyes were shut tightly. Closing her own, she called out, "I'm ready."

"Then it's time to reveal our true selves." Both Apollo and Aletheia unleashed their true forms, beings of pure light. The Mirror of Truth reflected the light all over, passing throughout the Waystation. The screams of Commodus and his troops echoed everywhere.

The god and goddess returned to normal form after a second. Apollo looked like a slightly overcooked gingerbread man and Aletheia had a dazed look in her eyes and her clothes had lost their color. It had been a very long time since she had revealed her true form to anybody.

Their goal had been accomplished. Commodus troops were all gone and the emperor himself was now blind screaming, "MY EYES!" Knowing it was safe now to look, everyone opened their eyes seeing the bleached out room and their own clothes.

"Whoa, you two did it," Thalia commented, as she looked around the room. "You destroyed his forces."

"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! I WILL KILL YOU ALL AND CLAIM THIS CITY AS MINE!" Commodus charged forward, even blind he was a threat to them.

He slashed his spatha only to be intercept by Lityerses own. The two of them clashed over and over as the Cornhusker led the emperor towards the large stain glass window in the room.

Once in position, Lityerses taunted Commodus. "Your reign over this city is over! You will leave and never come back! Go now or be killed!"

"You can't kill me, I'm immortal!" Commodus rushed forward, eager to kill Lityerses, who merely side stepped out of the way. The emperor's momentum sent him sailing through the window and falling to the ground.

Everyone rushed over to the broken window and stared at ground. The glass below had formed an outline of a human male, but Commodus's body was not there.

"Where did he go?" Calypso questioned.

"Probably far away from here. We should check oh what is going on over there?" Thalia interrupted herself pointing to something being carried towards the Waystation.

"It's Meg! Her karpoi and friends are bringing her here!" Leo shouted.

"Quickly, get the Throne of Memory!" Emmie commanded. While the others ran off to get the throne, Brianna freed her mate and Quieta. They both had minor injuries, but nothing life threatening.

Isra rushed over to her friend and asked her if she was alright. Quieta nodded her head. She leaned on her friend to help her stand. They hobbled over to the dining area, where Leo, Calypso, Thalia, and Josephine carried in the Throne of Memory.

Settling Quieta on to the only upright chair, the girl got out her notepad, ready to copy down the prophecy. Apollo took Meg from the karpoi as soon as they entered the room.

He placed her on the Throne of Memory. "Stay with me Meg," Apollo pleaded. "You're on the Throne of Memory. Speak your prophecy!"

Meg lurched upright. Her hands gripped the side arms of the chair, as if strong electrical current flowed through them. Everyone backed away as black smoke poured out of the tween's mouth and encircled her. In a dull monotone voice she spoke her prophecy.

The words that memory wrought are set to fire, Ere new moon rises o'er the Devil's Mount. The changeling lord shall face a challenge dire, Till bodies fill the Tiber beyond count.

Yet southward must the sun now trace its course, Through mazes dark to lands of scorching death. To find the master of the swift white horse, And wrest from him the crossword speaker's breath.

To the westward palace must the Lester go; Demeter's daughter finds her ancient roots. The cloven guide alone the way does know, To walk the path in thine own enemy's boots.

When three are known and Tiber reached alive, 'Tis only then Apollo starts to jive.

The smoke vanished and Meg slumped down in chair, snoring in her sleep. Everyone looked at Apollo, wondering why the prophecy had been so long.

"Was that three prophecies for one?" Leo asked.

"No. Only prophecies with several moving parts are said in a Shakespearian Sonnet. Like a limerick, a prophecy in this form means danger, more danger than you would normally face."

Everyone looked stricken hearing that. What could a prophecy such as that mean and was the danger only going to be faced by Meg and Apollo, or did it include them as well? Apollo glanced at Isra as he just recalled something.

"Isra, after you purified Trophonius, he gave you a prophecy, and stored it in the Mirror of Truth. Do you think you can get it out?"

"I don't know, I'm exhausted and I haven't regained my full strength," Isra admitted looking down at the floor, trying to get some air into her.

Aletheia embraced her daughter, her own hands placed on top of Isra's. "We can do it together. Hold out the mirror and picture the words of the prophecy appearing in the glass."

Together, mother and daughter, gave their energy to the Mirror of Truth. It hummed lightly. A gentle warmth spread throughout the teenager's body. A holographic projection appeared in the air. They saw hands clasped together for saying grace, a small wooden flute, and a spear like weapon forming a triangle in the air.

Beneath the images was a prophecy. It was backwards of course because of the mirror. Aletheia read it out loud, use to deciphering backwards messages.

From the land the Romans could not take,

A hound and hero will awake.

On the bridge of ocean waves,

One person's life may be saved.

If the lovers end their strife,

Then they can move on together in their new life.

"Forgive me for saying this, but that prophecy doesn't seem to be about you Isra."

"I don't think it is either. Those symbols that make up the triangle, I think the prophecy is referring to them, but was given to me, because they are not here now."

"Well I can tell you girl, who two of the people are," Leo responded to Isra. "Hands folded in position for Grace and tiny flute? No doubt about it, my peeps Jason Grace and Piper McLean, are two of the three involved. Don't know who the third could be."

Emmie cleared her throat drawing attention to herself. "We can discuss the prophecies further, after we clean up and hold Heloise's funeral."

The rest of the afternoon proceeded in a hazy manner. Meg and Apollo were given bubble baths to clean them up and then sent to bed to rest for a few hours. The ex-Hunters suggested Isra also do the same, but she declined to rest.

When she came back from her bath, the Waystation was beginning to fix itself, and everyone was doing their part to clean up the clutter, and prepare the departed bodies for a mass funeral. Her mom was using her general powers to help move the heavy rubble. Isra joined in to help her.

Griff's vision was still a little blurry from the gunpowder used so close to his face. His full eyes sight wouldn't return for a couple of days. His pack had lost five members during the battle and many of them were suffering from broken bones, deep gashes, or in one case, not having a tail anymore. They had already performed a small ceremony for pack members who died.

Abelard agreed to let the pack stay at the Waystation until they healed. Truth of the matter, he didn't want to be alone. The loss of Heloise was hitting him hard and he needed emotional support to get him through this. All he had left of his beautiful mate, was their egg, which had safely survived the battle.

Leo and Lityerses had become close friends due to fighting together during the battle. They were exchanging jokes and bouncing ideas of how to improve the Waystation as they searched for Festus's missing parts.

Calypso worked with Josephine to repair the stain glass window. The former Titaness had to sit down afterwards, the magic draining her energy almost completely. She decided to help by telling Georgina stories to entertain her.

Thalia, Sssssarah, Jaime, and Quieta, did several perimeter checks to make sure Commodus's forces were gone for good. They also searched for the mad emperor, but found no traces of him.

At twilight only Abelard's closest friends and Griff and Brianna were allowed to attend Heloise's funeral. A big crowd would have overwhelmed him, but he didn't want to do the ceremony, by himself.

Apollo carried Heloise's body to a fallow body of soil and stepped back, letting the griffins do their thing.

Working together, the trio of griffins slowly covered Heloise's body with feathers and tree branches until only her face was exposed. Abelard nuzzled his face against hers one last time.

"You were my whole life Heloise. I will make sure our chick knows of your bravery and love. I will remember you always." Abelard started to back away, the stopped. Her turned his head and looked at Isra and his eyes softened slightly. "Do you have final words for Heloise? If you do, please come forward. I know Heloise would love to hear them."

Cautiously, Isra walked forward, her steps heavy. Her eyes were full of tears as she knelt down next to Heloise's body. She kissed the female griffin's head and stroked it one last time. "Heloise, I will never forget you. You were my first friend here and without you, I would never have awaken my dormant power. I promise to watch over your chick as long as I live."

Rising up, she and the griffins placed their hand/paws on the covered body. With a final shrieking cry, they watched as Heloise's body dissolved into the soil. Her body would nourish anything planted and help it grow strong. In the wild, this would help new trees to grow, so more prey would come into the area.

Abelard took off into the sky. He needed some time to mourn by himself before he was ready to start his life without his mate. He trusted that Griff's pack to take care of his egg until he returned.

An hour later dinner was ready to be served. Everyone was subdued after the mass burial of the human corpses. The adult bodies had been incinerated in the furnace room, but they had taken the kids bodies who had died to an out of the way graveyard and buried them in huge empty plot. They would come back later and leave a headstone to mark their passing, (not to mention to avoid trouble if the bodies were ever unearthed,) so they wouldn't be forgotten.

Conversations were going on very quietly. The Hunters and Lityerses were talking about different strategies to use while fighting. The rescued demigods discussed their plans if they wanted to stay or go. Sssssarah was listening with enthralled attention as Jaime told stories about the snakes he encountered back home.

At the main dining table, Georgina had fallen asleep, her head resting on her coloring books. Emmie looked at her fondly, a happy smile on her face. Thalia sat opposite of Emmie, twirling her dagger absentmindedly. Josephine and Calypso sat side by side going over the prophecies.

Leo was multitasking, eating his dinner and making remarks about what his thoughts were on the prophecies. Aletheia, Isra, and Quieta ate their dinners quietly, waiting for the discussion to begin.

Meanwhile, Apollo was trying not to look grossed out by watching Meg eat voraciously. Meg's appetite had doubled after her experience with the Dark Oracle. She was packing on the calories and didn't look like she'd be done for a little bit.

"Okay." Calypso let out a deep sigh. "We've interpreted some lines, but we need your help Apollo. What happened in the Cave of Trophonius?"

"I'm not the best one to explain what happened." He looked at Isra and kindly asked, "Do you want to tell them what happened?"

Surprised and pleased, Isra explained the journey to the Cave and the dangers once they entered it. She described in great detail what happened to Meg and how she had used the Mirror of Truth, to make Trophonius stop his attack before she managed to purify him. She laughed a little when she came to the part about how they escaped.

"Well done my little rainbow. I'm very proud of how you acted and that you managed to use the Mirror of Truth to its fullest extent." Aletheia kissed her daughter's head and then hugged her tightly.

Josephine looked at Georgina and Emmie. Both had mixed expressions on their faces. Since the battle no one had seen Agamethus. With Trophonius purified and his oracle moved, no one doubted in their minds that Agamethus followed his brother to keep him company.

"I'm glad the Oracle is gone. Still, Agamethus and Georgina had a special relationship. I hope she can understand why he left."

"In time I'm sure she'll understand. I do not wish any further harm to your daughter. With the Cave moved, she'll never be tempted to seek out the oracle again," Apollo assured them.

The ex-Hunters seemed satisfied with the information. As long as their daughter was safe and sound, not much else mattered right now.

"Back to first prophecy, let's discuss the first stanza. Thalia, do you believe the mention of the moon indicates a time limit?"

Thalia nodded. "The different phases of the moon effect magic and gods differently. A new moon is an auspicious time for evil."

Emmie looked down at the line about bodies filling up the Tiber. "I believe this line is about Camp Jupiter and the Roman demigods will soon be attacked."

Leo frowned. "Yeah, the changeling lord…that's got to be about my homeboy Frank Zhang. Devil's Mount is an obvious reference to Mount Diablo. I hate Mount Diablo. I had to fight Enchiladas there once."

Aletheia studied the next sentence. "The words memory wrought. The Cuemaen Sybil's books of prophecies. It's been a long while, but I heard from a friend they found someone with an edict memory, who was reconstructing them. A harpy correct?"

Apollo confirmed what she said. Ella the harpy was the only hope for the full reconstruction of the books. It they were burnt or she was killed, they would lose those prophecies forever. In turn, making the emperors much stronger.

"How do we warn Camp Jupiter of an impending invasion, if all forms of communications are blocked?" Calypso asked.

Quieta tapped her pencil, drawing everyone's attention. She wrote furiously before turning her notepad around.

"Are you absolutely sure every form of communication is blocked? I understand we can't use electronic communications and mail isn't going to get to a place with no address. Still, there are many forms of communication, several that haven't been used in years. Would one of them work conceivably?"

Apollo thought about it for a few seconds. "I know the Champions of Hera at Camp Half Blood, managed to send and receive messages from a carrier pigeon. I was very stunned by this since the Romans were the first ones to start using birds to send messages."

It is a very old form of communication and hasn't been used widespread since the WWII. They could have forgotten about it. Do you have a beacon to reach the next closest demigod building?

"The Waystation has an old communication room. There's a high level crossbow. It can launch an arrow which travels several hundred miles until it lights a beacon in Iowa. There's a small semi permanent camp for the Hunters to stay at for a various reasons," Emmie informed Quieta.

Then use the network of beacons to send a message to the Roman demigods. For backup, perhaps Leo could fly out there to ensure a message gets through.

Calypso did not look pleased. Her complexion turned just a shade lighter than the pad of paper. Leo gulped and told her he would enroll late at school, but he would come back and there would be no more questing.

"So we got one stanza down. Yippee. What about the rest of the prophecy?" Thalia asked.

Meg stopped eating and spoke up. "The next stanza sounds to me we have to pass through the Labyrinth to American Southwest. Cool, I get to summon a satyr. I've always wanted to try that!"

"Then the next oracle is no doubt the Erythraean Sybil. I read she gives prophecies in the form of word puzzles. Hope your smart enough to figure them out," Isra imparted to the master and slave team.

As she read the next line, something tickled in the back of head. Hadn't her history teacher talked about how each Roman emperor was remembered by a title? "I'll be right back!"

She rushed to her bedroom and found her history book lying on her desk. She flipped through the pages until she came to the one she was looking for. Skimming the paragraph, she shut the book with a loud thud.

She raced back to the dining table, gasping for breath. She was full of excitement as she placed the book on the table and flipped it to the right page. She tapped a photo of a bust of who she thought was the third emperor.

Looking at the picture, the whole table froze in fear. The emperor she found was the most monstrous one of the Julian Dynasty. He made Nero and Commodus seem like toddlers fighting over toys when compared to him.

"Are you absolutely sure this is who the prophecy is referring to?" Apollo probed in a tight voice.

"My daughter has found the truth, I can sense it. Right now, we shouldn't risk saying anything more about him, less we want to alert him that we've figured out his identity. It seems only after you face him, you might have the power to stop them."

The mortal god said nothing. Just slumped down in his seat, turning white as a sheet. Meg formed a fist to punch him, but stopped. She went back to eating her dinner at a slower pace.

Whispering quietly to one another, they tried to decipher the second prophecy. While they knew who it was for, none of them could figure out who was the third person in the prophecy was or what a hound had to do with it. That one would have to wait until Apollo and Meg reached Jason and Piper.

Later, Isra was getting ready for bed exhausted by today's efforts. Her mom was going to let her stay home for the rest of the week, to recover from exhaustion and overuse of the Mirror of Truth.

The same went for Quieta, whose parents would be returning Sunday and be informed about all the events which happened this week. Calypso was going shopping on the weekend for school supplies and would join the girls on Monday.

"After the last three days, it will be nice to return to a semi-normal life. Yawn, I'm really exhausted." She started to climb into bed, but paused. She had the feeling someone was watching her.

Turning around she jumped in the air, surprised to find Agamethus hovering behind her. "You scared me! What are you doing here? I thought you left to be with your brother?"

The ghost shook the Magic Eight ball hard before placing it in Isra's hands.

I came to thank you. My brother is at peace. In time, his new cave, the Spooky Cave in McGregor Iowa, could absorb his prophetic gift and we can finally rest in the Underworld.

Isra giggled, the new cave system was the most appropriated place for the Cave of Trophonius to resettle in. No doubt it would eventually absorb the prophetic gift freeing both brothers.

"I'm glad I could help you both. I never imagined when I first learned we were moving here, the adventures I would have or find out my amazing ancestry history. Thank you as well, for helping me adjust to this life."

Agamethus bowed to her. He pointed to the Magic Eight ball and wrote the letter G in the air. It was palpable he wanted Georgina to have it to remember him by.

"I promise to give it to her. Do you want to say goodbye to anyone else?"

His upper body shook indicating no. He looked as if he wanted to be solid just for a few seconds to hug her goodbye, but he couldn't. Instead he gave her an air hug which she returned.

"Have a safe journey Agamethus. Best wishes to you and your brother. I don't think anyone here will ever forget you."

Agamethus flashed orange a few times, then dissolved into particles of light. They flew out her window and headed in the direction of Iowa. With luck, he would reach Iowa in a day.

The next morning Isra gave Georgina Agamethus's gift to her. The little girl cried a bit knowing her friend was gone. Wiping her tears away she spoke, "He may be gone, but at least I still have you big sister!"

"Yes, you do Georgina. You have a whole family here who loves you." The seven year old smiled happily, then returned her attention to her breakfast.

As they ate, Aletheia was having one last conversation with her cousin before he departed. "I hope you understand now, the reasons for my actions towards you."

"I do cousin and I admire your tenacity. It isn't often someone is willing to challenge me and force me to face the truth and change." He stuffed a piece of pancake in his mouth, chewed, then swallowed. "I hope you and your daughter have a wonderful life here."

"Of course we will. I've decided to bequest Britomartis if the Waystation can become a meeting point for my fellow D-list friends. A chance for us personification spirits to gather to hang out or catch up on one another.

Naturally, the mortal god shuddered at the thought of running into Britomartis again. He cautioned his cousin to be careful and watch out for traps. She promised to do so.

All too soon, it was time for Apollo and Meg to leave. Isra's shook Meg's hand. "I hope you stay safe Meg. Don't forget you have friends here if you want to visit."

"Thanks, I will. It was nice to meet you Isra. I'm never going to underestimate a normal person again."

She then shook Apollo's hand. "Remember what you have experienced here. If you do regain your godhood, your memories of this time will help you become a better person."

"I'll remember, especially about you. A normal human girl, who managed to accomplish so much, because she believed she could."

Isra watched as the two headed to the roof to summon a satyr. Ten minutes later the Waystation informed the residents the duo had left the area. Squeezing her mom's hand tightly, they both returned to the table to continue living their life in happiness.