When Alec approached the wooden ranch gate, all he saw was an old farmhouse and strawberry fields. He glanced towards the others. Magnus, Jace, and Clary seemed to be seeing something else entirely, eyes showing a mix of curiosity, wonder, and excitement between the three of them, while Simon looked about as confused as he felt. There wasn't really anyone there, and if the land wasn't as well kept as it seemed, he would've sworn it was abandoned with the state of the path up here. The wooden sign on the gate read "Delphi Strawberries." He got the reference, but he couldn't see how this could be the right location.

Nico straightened up, stopped them from passing, and seeming declared to thin air, "I give permission to the four Shadowhunters present and Magnus Bane to enter the camp."

Nothing visible happened, but Nico beckoned them forward, with Will and Chiron leading the way, passing through the gate. Alec made sure he exchanged glances with the others, still unclear on what they were walking into, but they had been granted permission all the same. It would be rude not to follow. This was important, there was no time to come up with an alternative. Alec followed Nico through the stony gate first, the others behind him.

As he stepped through, it felt like cool water and electricity were running over his skin, it wasn't unpleasant, just unexpected, but Alec was more distracted by the shift in the scenery around him. The strawberry fields and farmhouse remained, but a crystal-clear lake also appeared, along with cabins scattered about, formed into a Greek omega, but there were more nearby, some still in construction and reconstruction. It had everything expected of a summer camp, with the addition of a deadly climbing wall, an armory, an arena, and what could be a forge. In a way, it reminded Alec of Alicante in how it was so different, but the atmosphere was eerily similar.

Alec let the thought pass over him, demigods were really similar to Shadowhunters, so the familiarity made sense. They began descending into the valley where the camp was, and he managed to pick out a few faces. Most were children, with only a handful possibly being over 18, most seemed to hover between the ages of 11 to 17 with a couple of outliers both younger and older. He supposed that was a key difference, all of them were so young compared to the Shadowhunters. But he could see them wielding all sorts of weapons with accuracy and skill most would be hard pressed to match, even some of their most skilled. Alec supposed it made sense that Nico had managed to match Valentine as long as he had. Alec glanced at Magnus, who seemed to be just as enraptured by the general atmosphere and the overall sight of the camp.

A familiar, buff woman with a spear jogged up to their group, eyeing them suspiciously before talking to Chiron and the two demigods of their group.

"The counselors are gathered in the Big House for the war meeting," she announced, still giving Jace in particular a side eye.

Chiron nodded. "Of course. We don't have much time to spare. Our guests are going to be joining us for this meeting. Please go back on ahead and warn the others and tell them not to make a scene?"

She gave a curt nod before leaving, glaring at Jace once more, who just raised an eyebrow in response to her suspicion and possible aggression. Alec watched her go, before turning back to the centaur, who didn't follow.

"Aren't we going to go straight to the meeting?" Simon asked.

"Not yet." Chiron gave a heavy sigh, "They're going to... need a couple of minutes to calm down once the news reaches them. It's best to let it all calm down before we go inside."

"Speaking from experience?" Magnus offered.

Chiron gave a soft smile at the warlock's attempt to converse. "I've been working with teenagers since the dawn of time. The more things change, the more they also stay the same."

"So, do you take a more administrative role, or do you train them as well?" Alec decided to jump in.

Trade of the business was always a good place to start small talk. At least in his experience. He was genuinely curious, though. Chiron was older than any warlock, and to have that experience in a trainer would be invaluable. There had been warlocks who had been brought in to teach in places such as the Institutes and the Academy before, but the shifting animosity between them always made sure that those sorts of situations never lasted long enough to show a real impact. Magnus also seemed to be getting more invested in the conversation. It wasn't often he met beings as old, nor conversational as Chiron.

"I suppose I used to take a more proactive role back in the day, but in the more recent century, I've taken to letting them teach each other, and occasionally bringing in an instructor. I haven't really had the need to teach, and they've developed a system on who teaches what. So, yes, I mostly do the more administrative side of things now."

Alec hummed in response. He did suppose that the way a centaur would fight would be very different than how a demigod would. He was prevented from asking another question as they went more into the camp itself, and Alec's eye caught the large statue of Athena glowing over the camp. He watched as numerous demigods scattered and ran about, conversing in a frantic manner. He heard the ringing of steel against steel from a forge somewhere he couldn't see. Weapons were being put into the hands of children and Alec frowned.

Alec understood that demigods were generally short-lived, hunted as soon as they found out about their heritage, as Nico and Will had explained to them back at the Institute, but seeing teens who couldn't be older than 12 get ready for war unsettled him. At least the youngest of the bunch were being holed up somewhere safe from what he could see. He didn't doubt their competency, especially if there were ones among their numbers who seemed to easily be able to compete on an even playing field with a good number of the Shadowhunters Alec had met. But it didn't stop a heavy stone from settling in his gut, knowing that there was a chance that not all of them would make it to tomorrow.

Jace wasn't having a good day by any means. He was exhausted from the nights before, but that feeling wasn't unfamiliar nor his main inconvenience. They had learned that there was another world hidden aside from the Shadow world Jace had grown up surrounded by, one where demigods existed and rarely made it to 18, where these children were expected to fight in wars. It upset him that there was nothing he could do about this himself. Like hell he'd let the Clave ever find out about this though. He didn't trust them to put these kids on the right side of the line they had drawn in the sand.

Jace listened half-heartedly as Alec, Magnus, and Chiron made something similar to small talk. This camp was self-sustaining, the demigods apparently trained each other (he wanted to meet whoever helped train Nico with his bladework.) He recognized the woman with the spear from earlier as the same one he and Alec had followed through New York. Of course, she was a demigod. All of these children were armed to the teeth (and he was starting to understand why). He also kept an eye out as Clary and Simon lightheartedly talked about each of the structures and cabins they passed, comparing what they knew with each other. They both thought it was cool, and it was, but Jace would keep that to himself. (He'd love to look more closely at those weapons personally.)

Jace was more invested in seeing how the demigods organized themselves. There was clearly some sort of ranking order, but he couldn't figure it out from basic observations. The older demigods seemed to be in charge more often than not, 15-year-olds giving out orders to 13-year-olds. Chiron had also mentioned the counselors, so he assumed they were the main leadership. There were also the cabins, which definitely made the place seem far more like a normal summer camp than it actually was, if they weren't each exuberantly decorated, meant to represent their godly parent, that was. Not that he actually knew how a mundane summer camp worked. It was just something Clary had pointed out to him.

Jace had slowly resigned himself to fighting alongside the teens, watching them prepare everything from full sets of Grecian armor to handing out weapons to those who didn't already have at least three strapped onto them. He watched a few train and warm up, and he could see the skill and experience in each motion. He saw a few of them command powers like he had never seen before, plants bending using whispers, grabbing molten metals with bare hands, and shooting a tossed coin right out of the air. He watched them carefully, picking out other beings, satyrs and dryads if he remembered correctly, sprinkled about their numbers.

They watched him and the rest of the Shadowhunters (and Magnus) right back, occasionally pausing what they were doing to watch them walk past as Chiron gave them a basic tour of the camp. Clary got a few more looks than the rest of them, mostly confusion rather than the thinly veiled suspicion the rest of them got. He wondered what that was about.

Chiron was showing them the dining pavilion when a hunting horn echoed across the camp, leaving silence in its wake. Jace froze, fearing what it could possibly mean. Valentine wasn't supposed to be attacking until sunset, but he should've known better. Jace grit his teeth and prepared to hiss the name of an angel to light his Seraph blade. The others were prepared to attack (more or less in the case of Simon)

Cheers broke out, and Chiron let out a sigh, a grin on his face and he gave their group a placating wave. Jace faltered.

"Don't worry. It just means some more reinforcements have arrived. They must've already been nearby to get here so soon," Chiron explained. "We're expecting a few more by the time the battle itself rolls around."

"Who's here?" Simon asked, squinting his eyes to see if he could spot anyone in the direction the horn came from, half-fumbling with his bow.

"The Hunters of Artemis," Nico answered from his place in the back of the group, causing them all to turn to him.

"Can we get a bit more than that, perhaps?" Magnus prodded.

Nico sighed. "They're a group of girls who all willingly serve under Artemis herself, all immortal as long as they serve with her, and most of them hate any male in the vicinity on principle. Most of them are demigods, but not all. All of them are skilled, though. It's good that they arrived." Nico didn't seem as happy about that as he expressed, like he had sucked on a lemon at the mere mention of their name. Jace also wondered what that was about.

"I agree. It's good that they arrived so early," Chiron added. "Nico, could you go meet them and have Talia join the counselors while the rest prepare for this afternoon?"

Nico gave a curt nod, fixing his jacket before going off into the distant end of camp. Jace could just barely pick out a group in silver.

"He doesn't seem to like them very much," Magnus stated, looking to Chiron for an answer, once Nico was out of earshot.

"Hm, I suppose. He's gotten better the past few years, but his dislike is understandable. Children of Hades hold grudges like no other."

"What happened?" Clary asked hesitantly.

Chiron gave Clary a sad yet analyzing look, before giving a heavy sigh. Oh, it must've been something bad then to get that sort of reaction. Jace just hoped it was the petty sort of bad. He also wasn't lost to the fact they had subtly changed direction towards a different place on their half-tour.

"His sister joined them many years ago, leaving him here at camp, and died shortly after. From what I understand, he no longer blames them, but the fact remains. It didn't help he left camp on his own soon after and has only recently returned to living here."

Jace's eyes went wide. Oh. That was bad and explained a bit. Then his mind caught up to the rest of that statement.

"Are you saying Nico, younger than he currently is, was living on his own, where he could get attacked near constantly?" Jace asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately, yes. Nico did not return here for four years. It's amazing he survived but its put into perspective with how skilled he is. I've only heard pieces of his years away, mostly from other campers, but I know they weren't pleasant. I know he had resided in the Underworld for a time and did missions for his father. Nico is both very powerful, and very accomplished amongst our number, with a closer relation to his godly parent than I've seen in a long while."

Jace let that information seep in. An orphaned ten-year-old, chased by monsters, living amongst the dead, and doing errands for the king of the Underworld. It left a sour taste in his mouth, and almost made him pity the grumpy emo, but he wouldn't do that. He gave the kid a bit more of the respect he deserved. Nico was a lot stronger than Jace knew, and he would allow him that.

Jace imagined briefly what would've happened should Nico be exposed to the horrid mess of politics that was the Clave. He'd be viewed as a meddling warlock at best, or the servant of a powerful, high-ranking demon at worst. Add in his necromancy and other powers, it wouldn't bode well on any front. Jace decided to do his best to keep that from happening, and to sweep this whole thing politically under the rug best he could and convince everyone else to as well. Mr. Inquisitor didn't need to know anything other than the fact there was a misunderstanding and that they had let the kid go. It didn't help that Robert was supposed to be coming later this afternoon and would be arriving to an emptier-and-definitely-quieter-than-normal Institute. That was a mess for later.

"Why tell us this?" Magnus interjected, a dark frown on his face.

Chiron sent Magnus a small smile of understanding. Jace did suppose Nico's story was similar to that of a lot of warlocks. Young and orphaned, hunted by the world. Except Nico actually went to his nonhuman parent, unlike most warlocks (from what he knew at least). Jace almost wanted to ask what else Nico got up to during that time to see if the theme continued.

"Because it's important for you to understand why he acts the way he does. He has official titles and commands respect but remains at a distance. But he's young and has suffered much. Many of these demigods have."

Jace could understand that, at least, but he was picking up something beneath that as well. Nico's story was an outlier, but not unfamiliar. If the Clave got a hold of Nico, it wouldn't end well for him. It wouldn't end well for many of these kids, (because that's what they were), preparing for a war they were regrettably qualified to fight.

Jace swallowed the knot in his throat.

"He's still a brat," Jace declared.

Chiron let out a bellowing laugh and the somber tension in the air faded. "Most of them are that, too! I swear, never a moment of peace with these children, causing everything from simple upsets, to rebellions, to natural disasters!"

"Pretty sure that's just how teenagers are," Magnus huffed, giving Jace an accusatory glare.

Jace snorted. "I've only done two out of three of those things," he defended himself.

"Pretty sure you would've also caused a natural disaster if you were capable of it," Alec huffed, a small smile on his face.

"Betrayal!" Jace cried.

"You're right," Simon agreed, "Clary's the natural disaster amongst us."

"Simon!" Clary cried out to her own parabati.

"What? It's true!"

Chiron let out another soft laugh. "Then you all aren't misplaced here. On that note... Clary, was it?"

"Yes," Clary confirmed, "Why?"

"You don't possibly know a Rachal Dare, do you? You bare an uncanny resemblance to her," Chiron commented.

"Is that why Clary keeps getting funny looks?" Simon asked.

"Yes. Even upon multiple glances, you two look similar enough to be twins," Chiron confirmed.

"And that's where we're headed now, to this 'Rachel Dare'?" Jace added.

"Very perceptive of you," Chiron complimented.

"Who is she, another demigod?" Magnus asked, invested now as well.

"No, Ms. Dare is mortal, and possesses the Sight. I believe you refer to the ability to see the more mystical sides of the world as that as well?"

"Yes," Alec said.

"If she's a mundane, what's she doing here?" Jace asked.

"She's our Oracle. Ms. Dare can come and go as she pleases, but in order for there to be an official quest, she must give a prophecy, demonstrating it as something that must come to pass and also to provide a starting point. As such, she's possessed by the Oracle of Delphi to do so."

"Possessed? That surely can't be safe," Magnus grumbled. Jace definitely agreed.

"It's done willingly. She can hand it off whenever she pleases," Chiron tried to placate them.

"Well, has she given any recently?" Simon asked. It was a good question, actually.

Chiron frowned. "Most likely, but if so, it has yet to come to my attention, but unfortunately, it's not that uncommon for her to recite them with only one or two people present. Nico might know of it; with all he's been up to recently. But we're just going to confirm it. The prophecy could have clues for the battle we're expecting tonight."

Jace followed carefully on the dirt path they were taking towards a small set of caves, watching as Clary and Simon seemed to have a silent conversation he wasn't privy to. They seemed to come to an agreement rather quickly and Clary sped up her pace to walk beside Chiron, leaving Jace's side.

"I've had visions myself before, and I knew why then, but I've been having them again. Could it be related?" Clary questioned.

With the mentions of her visions, everyone zeroed in on the conversation being held, especially when they came to a stop outside of a particularly well-used cave separated off with a beaded curtain.

Chiron stroked his chin in thought. "Possibly. I don't know why you would be having them, but it definitely alludes to the fact that your involvement isn't incidental. Have these visions proved to be true so far?"

Clary fell into her thoughts for a moment before nodding. "Some of them. I had visions of Nico before we met, and it's possible the others are also related. I'd have to think on it to see how they fit together with what we know now."

Chiron nodded in agreement.

Jace supposed that made since. While they all knew about the visions, Clary was the only one who knew the visual details. The connection put him on guard, though. Last time, it was an angel sending her visions, but they didn't know where these ones were coming from. But Chiron didn't seem concerned about it, nor have the answers.

"I suppose we're about to see if they're related or not," Chiron commented before calling out to the cave, "Ms. Rachel? Are you here?"

It was a moment before there was a response.

"Yeah! I'm here! In the middle of something but come on in!" The one Jace assumed was Rachel called back.

Chiron pulled the curtain back and beckoned them inside. Jace followed the others inside and let the dim lighting of the cave consume him.

Jace really didn't like the idea of prophecies and the more superstitious side of magic. It never led to anything good. For him at least.