Don't play with ice, little ones.

A demi-pancake, as it were.

But she was not dying. Not here; not now. Lou Ellen squared her shoulders and geared up some more, about ready to try and cast a hex on Khione.

"Bein’ normal is overrated. Tha’s also exactly why people don’t worship ya anymore.”

The blonde paused.

But as the hex came, instinctively, she used her spear to block it. And it melted into water, right in her grip. That spear was made out of nevermeltice, snow forged with her aura, promised to never melt. Of course. Lou's hex. Her hands were glowing again. She'd have to dodge instead of blocking.

"They don't worship me because they made the mistake of choosing to forget. You, on the other hand, oh,  how does it feel, knowing you'll die at my hand, forgotten, a wisp in my father's winds?" she hissed, preparing an icy blast.

Whoops.

Let the insult battle begin.

Lou Ellen looked the goddess in the eyes, gearing up as well. “—As will I, ice bitch. Tell me, d’ya go ‘round lyin’ t’ yer family ‘s well? Or is tha’ special privilige only fer yer friends?”

But she looked up, to answer his question. Right. He was there.

And if she had to do that by exchanging insults and blows, then so be it.

"I have prayed t’ her, yes. I s’pose ya have prayed t’ yer dearest father—bless his soul—t’ look out fer his beloved daughter when she falls in battle?”

"What luck do I need from neglecting parents, demigod- you'd know something about that." She spat back, drawing back her left palm to prepare a beam of ice to hurl at her.

Clarisse’s voice reached her ears: “Can you take care of the ice bitch, Hewitt? Distract her.”

"Aye," Lou responded, all traces of snetimentality gone. "I can an’ will."

The temperature dropped by several degrees because of Khione’s fury. That was annoying, but it didn’t bother her much. The magic inside of her kept her warm enough.

"Taking on a goddess? I hope you've prayed to your mother to deliver you, demigod, this is folly." Khione snarled, disappointed that she'd missed her spot. She gripped her spear again.

Because this was the woman who had  B E T R A Y E D  her. Who had fed her nothing but  L I E S. 

The little blonde locked eyes with her loved ones (for as far as she could see them) one last time before training her blue eyes on the snow maiden once more.

She looked at one of the Laistrygonians, back at Lou, then back at him, the message clear. The Hecatean demigod's blood would be hers. Khione gripped her spear, stopping, and putting a halt to the slow march. For a second, for a minute.

This was it.

It was time.

The last hour was upon them.

Gaea’s forces rose and now the Greeks and the Romans had to work together to stop them.

Lou was frightened, afraid, yes, but it was also something she’d trained for. Days, weeks, months, years. It all came down to this. And besides, should she die tonight, her only wish would be that her friends and family’d be save from harm.

What shocked her still was that when the conch horn sounded (and everyone took in their positions) it was one goddess that could be clearly discerned from the rest as they approached.

—The goddess whom Lou Ellen had once thought of as a friend.

Boreas’ daughter, the goddess of ice and snow:

But priorities, priorities. She was at the front line for a reason. For fresh kills, to pick any demigod who could think they could escape from her. Her eyes scanned the crowd standing opposite, but her eyes locked on one target. Friend. Target.

"Wha’ o’ it? Afraid something might jus’ happen after all? Have no fear, m’lady,” Lou’s happy-go-lucky tone changed into one of steel. “I can hold me own.”

"I just need to know that you'll hold your own. That's all I need to know, Lou." she said to Lou Ellen, standing up and walking away. Just like that. She would walk away, before Gaea could see what they were doing. What was she thinking? Befriending a demigod from the Camp? Pretending the War wasn't around?

"I s’pose. Lest something happens t’ me. We don’t want ‘em birds  t’ drop outta the sky an’ we are standing next t’ the crib o’ where ‘em blizzards are made so…”

If Khione’s loyalty really did lie with the other side, the side of Gaea, then this would, probably, be the last time they’d see each other. And if they were to see each other again, Lou mused, it’d be on the battlefield.

"Nothing can happen to you, I'm sure." she half-hoped, half-assumed. "You are under the Camp's protection, are you not?"

She burned, bristling with frustration at Lou Ellen's smart remark. Silence her, a nearly drunken thought in anger peaked, but she quelled it. Nothing to be revealed, nothing to show.