2 I GET A NEW QUEST AND A DATE

"Helen, please stop fidgeting so much."

"Sorry, Elena."

"Am I hurting you?"

"A bit."

I sat down on Helen's bed, watching Elena(Hypsipyle) do Helen's hair. The two of them had become quite close. Elena treated my little sis as if she were her little sis. Helen didn't seem to mind, though. She often let Elena tend to her hair and even help her dress.

But like I said before, with what occurred last year looming over everyone's head, we had become a tight-knit group of supporters. Elena became a sister to everyone. She lifted people's spirits when they were down, and her smile lit up DGH. Nobody was down when they were with her. Even Anatasia was cheery(well, she smiled) when she was with her.

And she was a godd - I mean a really gorgeous lady. It wasn't uncommon to find her swaying off dates from the college kids and adults here. Even the satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs asked her out. Her beauty was enough to make her loved, and her cheery demeanor only reinforced it.

The only problem was that people assumed I was going out with Elena. Well, to their credit, they were technically correct. I seldom took her on walks through Manhattan and the other boroughs. But that was because she asked me to, and I wanted her to know her way around the city, and she wanted to see every speck of it. Aside from me, Andromeda and the other hunters were the only others that could show her around - we can't have people knowing that Elena...doesn't know what a car is. Then, they'll begin to suspect who she is, and that'll be a problem, even though she changed her name. The same went for the followers Elena brought here. I could have just let Andromeda take Elena with her, but she always asked me to go with her, and I just couldn't refuse her.

Then, there was the fact that Elena relied on me to teach her how to read and write, among other things. And frankly, I enjoyed the time together, especially when I read books to her. Last year, she could only read books for second graders. Now, she was apt enough to read books for adults by herself - and that was amazing. I congratulated her by taking her out to LA GRANDE BOUCHERIE and letting her buy new dresses - and paying for them. So, I guess I went on a date with her?

Someone knocked on the door. It was Nick. "Is Helen here - oh, Elena. Would you happen to know where Yiannis is?"

"He's here. Yi-"

"Yep, I'm right over here. Is there anything you want, Nick?"

"Can we talk somewhere else?"

And so my room it was.

I sat on my bed. "Anything important? Your voice made me think something serious has happened."

Nick nodded. "Chiron informed me of our newest quest. And Kronos wants to talk to you tonight."

"Let's start with Chiron. What'd he have to say?"

"Athena has ascertained that some of Kronos's forces are hiding in the labyrinth. Zeus has given Chiron the green light to send heroes there to investigate."

I suppose the gods are aware that Hecate has turned on them. Does Athena suspect the same for Hades, then? After all, Hecate serves her. Have the gods considered anything about the Underworld?"

"This is just my opinion, but I believe your father coming to our defense last year convinced the gods he was authentically on their side. So him cutting ties with Olympus seems unimportant. The rest of the gods probably think it's still just a squabble between him and Zeus after what happened last year."

"But why was Hermes at Olympus? I thought Hades was ordered to capture him."

"I believe Hades is waiting until the war begins when the gods will need their messenger more than ever."

"I see. How many heroes are to go to the labyrinth?"

"Twelve, in groups of three. Chiron will select who goes."

Anything of note about the cult?"

"No. Vittoria and Mei did well. The cult is a shadow of what it once was. However, there are two that concern me."

"Who?"

"Amy and Moon, the first and second consul, respectively. Both doubt your story about why you were missing for so long, Yiannis. And they question Hades's sincerity to the gods."

"Amy and Moon...I've never heard of them."

"Only those in the cult do. My superiors hardly spend time with anyone here, and when they do, they use false names."

So they liked to be off the radar. If Vittoria didn't kill them, they might prove to be a problem. And I needed to identify them quickly. I can't let them know about Elena. But I'm sure they know about her, and they could have spoken to her already. If they did, hopefully, they didn't think much of her.

"Is there anything else I should know about them? Why did you not tell me about them sooner?"

" The problem was that I knew too little about them. I wanted to tell you when I had gathered more information."

"Have you learned anything?"

"I only learned what I've already told you. But, there is something else I would like to mention."

"What is it?"

"Amy and Moon...their auras seem off."

"What?"

"I can't describe...the feeling I have when I'm around them. It makes me think the two are older and more powerful than the rest of us."

"Well, the gods can grant immortality." They also had servants that had to pay the gods back for eternity. Did Amy and Moon fit the bill? Or were they granted power long ago for servicing the gods so well?

"Should we do anything about them?"

I shook my head. "We have too little information. I don't find it hard to believe at least one of the gods believes Hades is conspiring with the Titans. Athena already knows that Hecate has betrayed Olympus, given that the Titaness's domain is littered with our allies. Perhaps she even discovered more than we thought. At the very least, the two seem to trust Zeus and vice versa. If anything were to happen to those two, the king of the gods would notice. And since the gods have decided to prepare for the war, they've likely decided to surveil DGH more."

"Shall I keep gathering info, then?"

"Absolutely. Nick. If you're in trouble, then run to the Isle of Lemnos. I can't have you die."

"Understood."

"Is there anything else you had to say?"

"Yes. About your next mission...Lord Kronos will brief you himself. That is all."

"Keep up the good work, Nick. It won't be much longer now...before we fully crush the gods and bring about a new age."

"Yes. You should ask Elena out while you're at it."

"Why?"

"Elena only asks you to take her somewhere, which has caused many to be envious. It's happened almost every day, and you spend quite a lot of time with her here already. Did Lord Kronos plan a sweet romantic life for you too?"

"Elena's like an older sister to Helen now. And, as I've already said, I help Elena learn Greek. Nothing else. We're just friends."

"If you say so."

"I do say so."

"Just curious. It's nothing that important."

"Better be."

"I'm just amazed you two aren't dating already." 

I plopped back on my bed. "That's what everyone else also says."

"Well, I've stayed for too long. I'll see you around, Yiannis." With that, he walked out the door, and Helen and Elena came in.

"Did something happen?" Helen asked.

"No," I smiled. "We just had a little chat. It seems I'm the subject of some rumors. Did you happen to know anything, Helen?"

My little sister stared at Elena, then turned to me. "If Nick told you about them, then you should know that they're nothing bad."

"You're right. But I'm not a fan of having every moment of my life speculated, then spread all over the place. And I've already got would-be enemies."

Those were minor problems, however. 

Hypsipyle wasn't all that well known in the myths. I'm pretty sure most of the gods have forgotten about her. Perhaps Athena and Aphrodite were among those that knew, aside from Artemis. And Artemis changed her appearance. The new Hypsipyle(Elena) had pupils that shone like gold in the sun, and her hair was now a dark amber that complimented her dark skin. And she got a name change - because otherwise everything would have been pointless. It's been a year, and Aphrodite hasn't seemed to recognize her. Perhaps she had been fooled, or Artemis was trusted by the gods. She could have convinced her family that Hypsipyle was not an enemy. Either way, it bodes well for her.

But about what Nick said...why did it make me so uncomfortable? Did I really have feelings for Hypsipyle?

Maybe I should take her out again, just to see.

But for now, I had guests in my room.

"So, anything you two wanted to talk about?"

Elena nodded. "Helen's friend, Amelia, had something to tell us. A new quest has been announced."

"Which is?"

"To explore the labyrinth and well, attempt to hinder Kronos's forces. If that's not possible, then to come back and report what they saw." There was a slight pity in her voice. Yes, what was down there were things that could not be handled by a small group of demigods on their own. And the labyrinth was always dangerous, to begin with. It was designed such that those who entered it could never leave - and here we were storming it without a map.

Helen latched onto my wrist. "Yiannis..."

It was likely I would be participating in this quest. I had a feeling Father's next task would involve the maze. And I was Hades's son. Ever since I "saved" DGH, I became their leader. Well, they owed me their lives, or so they thought. Plus, I did put up a good performance. I was the one they trusted most - and the one they all depended on. I was supposed to save Olympus, after all.

And that's the problem. Helen despaired after my disappearance last year. She's scared it could happen again, and given where I might be headed in this quest, it's a legitimate fear. I could get lost in the maze and die there for all I know.

I embraced my little sister. "It's going to be okay. Everyone thought that attack last year would be the end of us, but we're still here, Helen. We'll get through this too."

"It's not that, Yiannis. I thought...I thought you were dead last year. I thought Vittoria killed you a long time ago."

I wiped a tear from her eyes. "I know, Helen. I know." We stayed that way in silence for a while. Elena motioned whether she should leave, and I let her decide. She left the room.

I let go of Helen and held her hand. "You've grown, Helen. I remember when you were a foot shorter than me."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're not a little kid anymore. You can handle yourself - without help from me anymore. We are Hades's children, after all. The burden of the world is on us. I know it felt like I abandoned you last year, but...I didn't. I got back here in time to save you, didn't I? So don't worry about me, little sis. Your big brother can figure out to run away safely, at least."

Helen was not satisfied with that answer. "You have no clue how I felt! None at all! Just..." Her tears plopped to the floor, and she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact. "Yiannis, at the very least, let me be with you."

"With me?"

"If you're going on the quest, I am too. I went with you and Vittoria last time."

Yes, she did. My sister was among the stronger demigods here. I would have no problem taking her with me if I weren't her biggest enemy. Yet, I couldn't refuse her. I made her go through so much...

"Alright. I'll look to you when my back is turned. Make sure to protect it, will you?"

"Thank you. And protect me too, just like you've always had."

"I will, Helen." We hugged, and then I let Helen go, watching as she walked to her room.

"You can come in now, Elena." She obliged.

I suppose this was as good a time as any. "Might I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Would you..." I sighed. "Would you want to go on a date sometime?"