The Heroes of Olympus, #2
The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XXXI Hazel
Overview
Hylla reveals Otrera’s resurrection and an inevitable duel that Hylla cannot truly win while Thanatos is chained. Hazel bonds with Arion by feeding him gold, aligning with an Amazon prophecy. Hylla covertly encourages Hazel to stage a prison break, retrieve their gear, and flee on Arion during Hylla’s duel.
Summary
Hazel weighs escaping the Amazon throne room but judges Queen Hylla and her guards too dangerous. Hylla explains Amazon history, the Greek/Roman duality of the gods, and reveals that Otrera—the Amazons’ founder—has been resurrected by Gaea and has sparked a civil split.
Hylla discloses Otrera has invoked a midnight duel for the throne. With Thanatos imprisoned, even killing Otrera would be temporary, making Hylla’s position ultimately unwinnable. Hylla cannot publicly aid the quest or release the prisoners without appearing weak.
When Arion, the immortal horse, reacts to Hazel’s despair, Hylla reveals his origins and gold appetite. Hazel draws a gold nugget from the earth and feeds him, and Arion accepts her, echoing a prophecy that the bravest woman would master him to bring Amazon prosperity.
Hylla crafts a covert plan: Hazel should engineer a prison break without Amazon help, using a confiscated Amazon card to open the cells and retrieve the team’s gear, then return to steal Arion for escape while Hylla prepares for the duel. Hylla restores Percy’s necklace to Hazel and orders Kinzie to deliver Hazel to the cells—and to be elsewhere when the “unfortunate” events occur.
Who Appears
- Hazel LevesqueProtagonist POV; learns of Otrera’s coup, bonds with Arion by conjuring gold, and is tasked to orchestrate a prison break.
- Queen HyllaAmazon queen and Reyna’s sister; facing a fatal duel with Otrera, she covertly enables Hazel’s escape plan.
- KinzieAmazon guard, daughter of a nymph; loyal to Hylla and positioned to ‘not notice’ the impending prison break.
- OtreraResurrected founder of the Amazons; challenges Hylla for the throne and plans to ally with Gaea against Rome.
- ArionImmortal, gold-eating stallion; accepts Hazel, fulfilling a prophecy and offering a potential escape.