Drako's promise

Drako woke up in the middle of the night when he felt two presences leave the cabin next door.

One of them was Percy's, and the second was someone unknown. It appeared to be a Pegasi, but it was different from the ones he had seen in the stable.

Soon they were gone, and Drako had no desire to pursue him. However, he could no longer sleep. He got up, careful not to wake Thalia, and left the cabin.

No one left the cabins at night, and Drako didn't know why. That's why he was so surprised when he noticed several presences inside the Dining Pavilion. Approaching this one, he saw Nico hiding behind a column.

It wasn't even dawn, nowhere near time for breakfast. What was he doing up there?

Drako was coming up the steps behind Nico. He didn't see him at all, since he was using stealth. He was behind a column, peeking around the corner, all his attention focused on the dining area. Drako didn't waste to much time to find what he was doing: he was spying on the Hunters.

There were voices—two girls talking at one of the dining tables.

It was difficult to see the girls in the dark of the night, but Drako knew their voices: Zoë and Bianca. It sounded like they were arguing.

"It cannot be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoë growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"She will live," Zoë said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me… and thee."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe can't go, we only have five. We'll have to pick another."

"There is no time," Zoë said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one."

"But that meant that someone would die!" Bianca said. "By a parent hand."

"Maybe Phoebe's parents help the brothers," Zoë said, though she didn't sound convinced.

"But—"

"Bianca, hear me." Zoe's voice was strained. "I… I can't explain, but I have a sense that we should not pick someone else. It would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's. I don't want Chiron choosing a camper as our fifth companion. And… I don't want to risk another Hunter."

Bianca was silent. "You should tell Thalia and Drako about the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word no to talk about that," Zoë said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."

Nico scooted out of their way, and Drako followed behind.

As the girls sprinted down the steps, Zoë almost ran into Drako. She froze, her eyes narrowing. Her hand crept toward her bow, but the Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

And Zoë followed her out of the pavilion.

Drako could tell what Nico was thinking. He took a deep breath and was about to run after his sister when Drako stopped using Stealth and said, "Stop."

He almost slipped on the icy steps as he spun around to find Drako. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been here the whole time; I just masked my presence."

"Wow. Cool."

"How did you know Zoë and your sister were here?"

He blushed. "I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I don't… I don't sleep too well at camp. So I heard footsteps, and them whispering. And so I kind of followed."

"And now you're thinking about following them on the quest," Drako guessed.

"How did you know that?"

"Because if it was my sister, I'd probably be thinking the same thing. But you can't."

He looked defiant. "Because I'm too young?"

"Because they won't let you. They'll catch you and send you back here. And… yeah, because you're too young. You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that. More dangerous. Some of the heroes will die. You're… weak."

He shoulders sagged. He shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe you're right. But, but you're going."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going with them. Keep an eye on my sister! You have to. Please?"

"Nico—"

"Promise," he insisted.

"I'll do my best. I promise that."

"Get going, then!" he said. "Good luck!"

Drako smiled as he stroked Nico's head. They each left for their respective cabins.

Or so it seemed, since Drako went to Cabin Number 3.

"Percy, we have to talk."

.......................

Prophecies were sacred, and they had always been fulfilled. That's what Thalia had explained to Drako.

When Drako heard that Phoebe wouldn't be able to participate in the quest, he feared little Nico would participate in it. That's why he had convinced him to stay home.

However, he wasn't going to be as foolish as Zoë to leave a prophecy half-baked. That's why he warned Percy and told him to prepare to travel tomorrow.

Of course, Zoë wasn't going to accept this. That's why Percy was going to travel with his Pegasi from behind. That, along with Annabeth's cap that allowed him to become invisible, would help him join the group when it was too late to turn back.

The next morning, the group of five consisting of Thalia, Zoë, Bianca, Grover and Drako climbed into the white Camp Half-Blood van. Normally it's Argus who drives it, but this time it was Zoë who was in charge of the wheel.

Their first destination was Manhattan. Because of traffic, they didn't get there until mid-morning.

Drako looked at Zoë in surprise from time to time. The minimum age for driving in the United States is 16, but she didn't seem to be that age. In fact, by all appearances, Thalia was the oldest with Phoebe.

It was so weird...

Imagine the police stopping them. What were they gonna say? That they're immortal Hunters?

................

"Can you continue without me for a moment?" Drako asked.

Zoë stopped the caravan. "What do you mean?"

"I have something to do, I won't be long."

"We won't wait for you," Zoë said.

"I can reach you quickly, I have my own method of transport."

Zoë thought about it for a moment, then remembered that Drako's vehicle.

"It's OK. Don't take too long or you might lose track of us."

Drako stepped out of the van, and immediately a pair of dragon wings flew off his back.

This was something he had learned from his Art of Human Transformation, the ability to partially take on something of his dragon form.

"Wait, doesn't that mean the parts I partially transform should have the stats of my dragon shape?"

Yeah, but you're so dumb you didn't realize that until now.

"Fuck your head, shitty author. Why are you only realizing this now?"

Leave me alone, and continue to play the retard.

"Tch."

Drako flew to the top of a building that appeared to be quite famous. It was called the Chrysler Building or something.

There was Percy there with his Pegasi (called Blackjack). In front of him was Dionysus.

The situation was tense, and it looked like he was going to see some trouble.

"Going somewhere?" Dionysus asked.

He was leaning against the building with his feet levitating in the air, his leopard-skin warm-up suit and black hair whipping around in the wind.

"God alert!" Blackjack yelled. "It's the wine dude!"

Dionysus sighed in exasperation. "The next person, or horse, who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

"Mr. D." Percy tried to keep his voice calm as the grape vines continued to wrap around his legs. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do I want? You thought, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you leaving without permission?"

"He has my permission," Drako intervened.

Both turned to look at him. Dionysus eyes narrowed dangerously. "Can you give him permission?"

"We need six people to do this quest, we need his help," Drako said.

"And why should I care? I don't care even if he dies right now in front of my eyes."

Percy balled his fists.

"Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"

Purple flames flickered in his eyes. "You're a hero, boy. I need no other reason."

"I have to go on this quest! I've got to help my friends. That's something you wouldn't understand!"

"Um, boss," Blackjack said nervously. "Seeing as how we're wrapped in vines nine hundred feet in the air, you might want to talk nice."

The grape vines coiled tighter around Percy. Below them, the white van was getting farther and farther away. Soon it would be out of sight.

"Did I ever tell you about Ariadne?" Dionysus asked. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

Drako had heard that story, and knew that Theseus did something bad to the princess. But, he didn't remember very well about that.

"They got married," Percy said. "Happily ever after. The end."

No, that wasn't how Drako remembered the story.

Dionysus sneered. "Not quite. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he… What's the word mortals use today?... he dumped her. I found her there, you know. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's wrong," Drako said. "But that was thousands of years ago. Why is that important now?"

Dionysus regarded him coldly. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp."

Percy stared at him. "You're… you're married? But I thought you got in trouble for chasing a wood nymph—"

"My point is you heroes never change. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. So you'll excuse me if I have no love for heroes. They are selfish, ungrateful lot. Ask Ariadne. Or Medea. For that matter, ask Zoë Nightshade."

"What do you mean, ask Zoë?" Drako asked.

He waved his hand dismissively. "Go. Follow your silly friends."

Percy blinked in disbelief. "You're… you're letting me go? Just like that?"

"The prophecy says at least one of you will die. Perhaps I'll get lucky an Poseidon grows tired of you. But mark my words, Son of Poseidon, live or die, you will prove no better than the other heroes."

After taking another look at Drako, Dionysus snapped his fingers. His image folded up like a paper display. There was a pop and he was gone, leaving a faint scent of grapes that was quickly blown away by the wind.

"Come on, Blackjack," Percy said, trying to sound upbeat. "I'll buy you some donuts in New Jersey."

��Be careful," Drako said to Percy. "I'll going back to the van."

With that, Drako went down and summoned Golden Drive. Soon he was on par with the van, much to Zoë's dismay.