We lay on the ground heaving and panting, swords on the ground by our sides, but there was no ill will. Only contented happy smiles on our faces. Percy had been right. I wasn't bad and I deserved to be happy. Sure I wasn't perfect, but it didn't change the fact that I cared for my friends and that I had their support. Nor the fact that I only wanted to do the right thing, to fix things. Moreover, he wasn't perfect either, he just learned not to blame everything on himself and that he could rely on others to help, rather than carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Something he had learned from doing literally that.

"Honestly, I am impressed. You far exceeded my expectations in your ability to fight. And that sword, it's got some awesomely vicious tricks." He was referring to my channeling white flame through the new sword, as if I had channeled the brilliant flames that blazed from my mother's chariot.

I laughed. "Well, I still got my ass beat. No surprise there though. You are one of the best swordsmen. Thanks for believing in me, fam. It feels so good to know that I have people that have my back. And I am sorry for thinking it was fake. Y'all are the real deal." I felt at peace, in a way that I hadn't in a long time. And as a concerned familiar voices echoed nearer, I couldn't help but smile happily.

"Gods…what the fuck happened?" That voice sent a flutter in my heart and a pang of guilt. I didn't want to worry or hurt her.

Turning my head, "Oh, nothing to worry about, Thalia. Percy was just teaching me something and settling some misgivings through sparring." I couldn't help the broad smile on my face as I admired the person who'd taken a piece of my heart. She seemed fatigued and stressed, but her face softened in understanding.

"Thanks Seaweed Brain for knocking some since into this brave, reckless idiot. But I have to say, you look like got your ass-kicked, too. Gotten soft or did you really let your skills slide that much being all lovey-dovey with Annabeth," Thalia teased warmly.

Everyone laughed at the jibe, even Annabeth and Percy whose faces were red with embarrassment. As Percy and I helped each other up, he replied. "Nah. It's just that Lover Boy over here is quite a bad-ass. With heart and determination like that, I think you've got yourself a keeper Pinecone Face. But you may want to act fast, before I make a move him."

"You might be right, we did have quite a few moments there, hot stuff." I teased, laughing along with him. If our group hadn't been rolling on the floor in laughter. They were now. Especially, as blushing Thalia almost gave me whiplash as she pulled me in for a possessive kiss. The lip-lock was amazing and I felt so lucky to have someone like Thalia as part of my life. As we pulled back from the blissful connection, I whispered inches from her beautiful eyes: "Hi, Sunshine. I missed you so much."

She caressed my cheek gently. "I was so worried that I'd lose you. When I saw you fall, I-I thought..." A tear fell down her cheek. Kissing it, I gently quieted her, "It'd take a lot more than that to get rid of me, Thals." She smiled a bit through her tears, punching my shoulder affectionately. "Yeah, well, you're a reckless, brave, idiot but you are MY reckless, brave, idiot."

A collective awe came from our audience. "Hey, hey, hey," Annabeth interjected with a fake jealous tone "Seaweed Brain and I are the cute couple of this group. Stop trying to steal our thunder and get your own material."

Thalia and I chuckled as we faced the group, blushing a bit in embarrassment. It was only then that everyone saw something of much more interest on my person.

"Whoa, check that out," Jasmin spoke in awe, "What's that new sword?"

"That's no normal sword," Annabeth said with shock, as she laid eyes on it. "You've got to be kidding me. There's way too much ancient power in that to not be what I think it is. Tell me I am wrong, but Percy, Thalia, that sword...it's..."

"That is Selene's sword, the old goddess of the Moon. The one meant to be passed to Artemis after becoming the goddess of the moon. How does that even still exist?" Reyna replied. Of course she knew. As a consul of the Romans, she would learn any possible advantage that could be used for and against her people.

I unclasped the scabbard and drew the blade, showing it off to Reyna and the others.

"Exactly. And with that aura like the moon chariot, there is no question. Where did you get it?" Annabeth replied, looking shocked and curious. In awe about this new piece of knowledge but also wary about the answer.

"Let me see it for a sec," Thalia interrupted and snatched the weapon, "Damn, that's impressive. It's easier to tell a lot about it, however, if you read the name on the hilt: έναστρο εκδικιτής—lunar vengeance. A fitting name for a companion to the sun of Artemis. And," Thalia announced and examined the blade as one would a print while tracking, "Based on the residual aura of the last entity that touched it, you got this from Persephone." There was a worried look on her face at the revelation. "Please tell me you didn't trade anything for this. If you did, we may be worse than dead."

"No, I didn't" I replied and explained to them how I had acquired it and that Persephone was part of a faction who supported our cause.

It had been weeks since that day. The party had been following Boreas' directions but had been hounded by monsters the whole way. In fact, constantly drained of supplies and having to change course, the group had made it only about halfway. And it was taking its toll. The cheerfullness and morale had dropped and an uneasiness had settled in. While Galileo had been blessed by gods, it was clear that he had a short limit; that coupled with a lack of experience made him less effective. And while he did grow better, the slow progress frustrated him. Percy, Thalia, Reyna, and Annabeth too had grown exasperated as the effectiveness of the team dropped and progress stagnated. Jasmin was the only one at this point that held any hope. She would sing and play instruments as the daughter of Apollo to lift their mood or even just offer a momentary respite.

While she was not the best fighter nor particularly experienced, her ability to bring them back from the brink of breaking time and time again kept the quest from reaching disaster. But she too knew that something was wrong. Almost as if the Fates themselves were slowing progress, for their luck was constantly sour, with things going wrong left and right. It ground on everyone and as a third week rolled around, they finally snapped.