Chapter 13

~Percy's POV~

"What do you mean, atonement?" I repeated, eyes narrowed. He shook his head. "It-it's nothing. Ah..."

Thump. I spun, fumbling Riptide from my pocket and uncapping it, pointing it at...a young man? He grinned easily at me, getting up from the floor as the swirling white portal behind him disappeared.

"Hi." He waved at us, flicking caramel hair out of his bright purple eyes. He was good looking enough, I supposed.

"Nico." Nodding at the son of Hades, he leaned against the wall behind him. I turned to Nico, just in time to see his eyes harden. "You. Why are you here?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "Who is this?"

Nico scowled. "This is Eros."

The young man smiled at me. "Eros, Cupid, people call me all sorts of things. Often confused with Aphrodite."

"Wait, so you're the god of love? Cupid? Um, not to be insulting or anything, but shouldn't you be like, a diaper wearing baby with a tiny bow?" I asked, sitting on the bed and facing him.

"Um, no. Love takes many shapes. Also, I'm...not a god. I've been around much longer than them. Since the first Age." Eros smiled again and offered a hand. I shook it warily and nodded back. Obviously, this guy and Nico had some bad blood between them.

"Why are you here?" Nico's voice was quietly furious.

"Yeah, that's a long story. I've been around since the end first Age, but my older sister has been around much longer. Her name is Eris. She is the essence of hate, prejudice, strife and betrayal. She is the prize daughter of Nyx." Eros sighed, shaking his head. For a second, his form flickered and he doubled over, groaning. "We...never really got on. And now that Gaia has been put to sleep, Nyx is furious. She has loosed Eris on the demigod camp-sss!" He gasped as an invisible force attacked him, wincing. Then he righted himself and continued. "Eris lives to destroy me and everything I have created in this world."

Nico glared. "Maybe the world would be better off without you. You're a monster."

Eros shrugged, apparently unperturbed. "I may be, but I am the definite lesser of two evils." For a moment his figure shook, revealing the same person, but on his knees screaming. A shadowy woman stood over him, a vicious, gleeful expression etched onto her face. Somehow, I knew I'd seen her before, recently. "She assaults me even now, and will constantly until either she is defeated or I am utterly destroyed."

"Eris has infiltrated the camp. She has already...infected your friend. Hazel. In fact, your fellow campers are under her influence. That Roman, Octavian, she uses as a tool. Soon, they will hunt you. Once you're destroyed, they will turn on one another, first Greek against Roman, then Greek against Greek and Roman against Roman. It will be pandemonium. Strife. And Eris will revel in each and every moment until Gaia's opposers are completely and utterly destroyed. Then she will go on and destroy this world from inside out. Eris is more dangerous than Gaia herself."

Well. That was nice to know. In fact, it was kind of repetitive. First there was Kronos, then Gaia, who was more dangerous than Kronos, then now Eris, who was more dangerous than Gaia.

Sigh.

I shook my head. "And why are you telling us this?" I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.

"I need you to stop her." Yup, and there it was. Never mind I was having my own problems right now, I also had to fight some random powerful and scary being who could vaporise me with a glance. Just brilliant.

Yeah, welcome to my life.

Nico rolled off the bed, staggering over to Eros. "You...want us...to stop her!?" He began laughing, ribs trembling. "After all you've done?"

"You won't be doing it for me. You'll be doing it for your friends, the camp, and the world." Eros nodded to me. "I must go. Eris is weakening me even now, I must meet her in battle. Goodbye, Percy, it was nice meeting you. Nico. Good seeing you again." He smiled, before flickering out of existence.

"Nico..." I sat beside him. "We...we have to help." He shook his head stubbornly. "No. I'm not going to do anything to help that...that..." He looked like he was trying not to curse.

I sighed. "We can talk about it later. For now, you should rest." Nico's eyes widened for a second and he looked on the verge on refusing, but silently complied, lying back onto the bed. Striding across the room, I sat in a chair and uncapped Riptide. Just in case any other, less friendly visitors dropped in.

"Hello, son of Hades."

I started, eyes flying open as I stared across the room at the intruder.

Intruders.

Shit.

A/N:

Hey guys!! Sorry for the "cliffhanger"...

NOPE NOT SORRY XD

So who do you think it was? I know, I know, obvious. Duh.

Also, whaddya think of this chapter? The revelation was kind of unexpected, I know. It's why Hazel is acting so horrible, because I actually like her.

Some things about Eris I wrote aren't actually true, I just made them up. But I'm not going to tell you what or what not. Just imagine it's all true.

Peace out,

~N

P.S. Happy New Year to all of you! I LOVE YOU GUYS XD

*virtual hugs*

THANK YOU