“There!" Mars finished writing and threw the scroll at Octavian. "A prophecy. You can add it to your books, engrave it on the floor, whatever."Octavian read the scroll. "This says, 'Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by sundown on June twenty-fourth or die'.""Yes," Mars said. "Is that not clear?""Well, my lord...usually prophecies are unclear. They're wrapped in riddles. They rhyme, and..."Mars casually popped another grenade off his belt. "Yes?""The prophecy is clear!" Octavian announced. "A quest!”

“Yes,' she said. 'The Great Prophecy has begun.'Pandemonium broke out.”

“Reyna sent me to get Percy," Frank said. "Did Octavian accept you?""Yeah," Percy said. "He slaughtered my panda.”

“On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up.”

“Percy and Reyna occupied matching praeters' chairs on the dais, which made Percy self-conscious. It wasn't easy looking dignified wearing a bedsheet and a purple cape. "The camp is safe," Octavian continued. " I'll be the first to congragulate our heroes for bringing back the legion's eagle and so much Imperial gold! Truly we have been blessed with good fortune. But why do more? Why tempt fate?" "I'm glad you asked." Percy stood, taking the question as an opening. Octavian stammered, " I wasn't--""--Part of the quest," Percy said. "Yes I know. And your'e wise to let me explain, since I was.”

“Two hundred Romans, and no one’s got a pen? Never mind!" He slung his M16 onto his back and pulled out a hand grenade. There were many screaming Romans. Then the hand grenade morphed into a ballpoint pen, and Mars began to write. Frank looked at Percy with wide eyes. He mouthed: Can your sword do grenade form?Percy mouthed back, No. Shut up.”

“Down in the water, Octavian yelled, “Get me out of here! I’ll kill you!”“Tempting,” Percy called down.”