The Heroes of Olympus, #2
The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XLVIII Frank
Overview
Frank and Hazel find Percy alive, angry but joking, and confirm the prophecy’s twist: Percy doesn’t drown. Realizing Camp Jupiter is under attack, they salvage Imperial gold weapons and a chariot from the bay. With Arion fueled and harnessed, they load the recovered arms, Percy takes the eagle standard, and they speed south.
Summary
Frank and Hazel reach the shattered glacier to find Percy alive, standing with the Roman eagle standard over the devastation he caused by breaking the camp’s ice. Percy downplays the fall, joking about past plunges, and Hazel quips the prophecy meant Percy would drown ghosts, not himself.
Percy playfully confronts Frank about his shapeshifting—eagle, bear, and even elephant—calling it unfair given his own powers, which eases tension. Hazel refocuses them: Camp Jupiter is under attack, and the eagle and any salvaged gear could turn the tide.
They decide to recover Imperial gold weapons, armor, and a chariot from the bay. Hazel levitates items with her earthborn talent; Percy dives repeatedly to haul up more; Frank becomes a seal to help, enduring Percy’s tease about fishy breath. Together they raise a sturdier chariot with Imperial gold wheels and axle and strap on as much gear as possible.
Arion agrees to pull the heavy load but demands food. Hazel feeds him a bent Imperial gold dagger, which he devours, reminding Frank to keep his hands clear. With time short and the chariot secured, Percy and Frank climb aboard while Hazel mounts Arion.
Arion launches with a thunderous boom, avalanches chasing their path as they accelerate south. Armed with the recovered weapons and the eagle standard, the trio races to reinforce Camp Jupiter.
Who Appears
- Percy JacksonAlive after the fall; wields the Roman eagle; helps salvage gear; jokes about prophecy and Frank’s shapeshifting; rides chariot south.
- Hazel LevesqueRefocuses mission to aid Camp Jupiter; uses earth powers to raise Imperial gold; feeds Arion a gold dagger; rides Arion to lead the dash south.
- Frank ZhangReveals shapeshifting again, becoming a seal to help recover gear; secures weapons to the chariot; rides with Percy toward Camp Jupiter.
- ArionSuperfast horse; demands Imperial gold as fuel; agrees to haul the loaded chariot and rockets the team south.