XXV

Piper feels useless after the sea battle, watching others repair the Argo II while Percy scours the depths and Jason fights fires. She fails to scry their missing friends and instead sees Romans racing north, prompting Piper and Annabeth to warn Chiron via Iris-message. Chiron confirms defenses at Camp Half-Blood and urges them to finish the quest.

At dawn, three pink bubbles eject Leo, Hazel, and Frank beside the ship. After hauling them aboard, the crew hears of ichthyocentaurs, Aphros’s aid, and promised protection across the Atlantic. Hazel stresses urgency: Nico has less than two days and is essential to the quest.

Annabeth produces the bronze map from Fort Sumter, now blank unless she is alone, linking it to the Mark of Athena. She shows an Athenian coin and explains the fiery owl sigil. Jason shares a Roman legend: the Athena Parthenos was stolen to break Greek power and hidden in Rome. Annabeth confirms generations of Athena’s children have followed the Mark seeking the statue.

The crew realizes recovering the statue could unite Greek and Roman demigods and aid against the giants, but Annabeth must follow the Mark alone. Fears of spider-related trials surface, yet Percy and Piper bolster Annabeth’s resolve. Leo ends the tense talk and assigns repair duties to ready the ship for the Mediterranean by morning.

During chores, Piper and Jason clean the lower deck and stables. Piper wrestles with jealousy over Reyna and doubts about their Mist-forged beginnings, while Jason reassures her that they are a team. Exhausted but steadied, they head to dinner, committed to reaching Rome quickly as Nico’s deadline approaches.