The Heroes of Olympus, #5
The Blood of Olympus
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XLVII
Overview
On Half-Blood Hill, Will Solace’s ultrasonic whistle drops Octavian’s dog-headed guards, letting Nico rout them. Octavian confronts and tries to recruit Nico, but Will exposes that prophecy is down. The sabotaged onagers detonate harmlessly midair. Dakota brings Reyna’s stand-down, yet the Greeks arrive in force and Octavian orders a charge.
Summary
Nico, drained and distracted after bickering with Will Solace, faces charging cynocephali. Will unleashes an ultrasonic whistle that incapacitates the dog-headed warriors. Nico cuts through them, reducing the attackers to shadows, while Octavian and the First Cohort reel.
Octavian advances on Nico, railing about Greek sabotage and ordering onagers checked. He probes Nico’s loyalties and offers him status in New Rome if he steps aside. Nico resists, declaring he belongs to neither camp. Will interjects, angrily insisting no prophecies are working and that Apollo would not condone Octavian’s war.
All six onagers fire simultaneously. Thanks to subtle sabotage, three payloads veer and trigger a midair chain detonation with the other three, creating a dome of gold fire but causing no real damage. Octavian rages and orders reloads, but the legion hesitates as the Fifth Cohort, led by Dakota, arrives.
Dakota announces Reyna’s order to stand down. Octavian denounces Reyna and commands the arrest of Dakota and obedience from the legion. Will warns Octavian not to force a split, but Octavian doubles down, screaming for arrests, Greek destruction, and onager reloads.
Before the Romans decide, the entire Camp Half-Blood army crests the hill: Clarisse La Rue in a war chariot, demigods, satyrs with Grover, Cyclopes led by Tyson, and Chiron ready to fire. Clarisse demands Roman withdrawal. Octavian seizes the moment, claiming a Greek trick, orders the legion to form wedge formation, and commands a charge.
Who Appears
- Nico di AngeloNarrator; dispatches cynocephali, rejects Octavian’s recruitment, and witnesses the sabotaged onagers’ harmless detonation.
- OctavianRoman augur; confronts Nico, claims prophetic mandate, orders arrests and a charge despite Reyna’s stand-down.
- Will SolaceSon of Apollo; drops dog-headed warriors with an ultrasonic whistle and declares prophecy is not working.
- DakotaFifth Cohort centurion; arrives with orders from Reyna to stand down the legion.
- CecilHermes camper; helped sabotage onagers, quips after Will’s whistle incapacitates enemies.
- Lou EllenHecate camper; part of the Greek sabotage team, challenges Octavian’s narrative.
- Clarisse La RueAres’s daughter; leads the Camp Half-Blood army onto the hill and demands Roman withdrawal.
- Grover UnderwoodSatyr leader; arrives with satyrs and nature spirits to back Camp Half-Blood.
- TysonCyclops ally; advances with other Cyclopes in support of the Greeks.
- ChironCentaur trainer; appears in battle form with bow drawn as Greek forces assemble.