The Dark Prophecy

The goddess of nets and traps has promised Artemis to help her twin. Britomartis wants something from Apollo in return: Apollo must rescue the griffins before the goddess tells him the way into the palace of the New Hercules. Griffins are the sacred animals of Britomartis; therefore, she wants this pair saved. Going to the palace is crucial for Apollo’s quest to retrieve the Throne of Memory. Only on this throne can a prophecy from Trophonius be recounted. The griffins are being kept in a secret place at the Indianapolis Zoo along with other magical creatures so they can take part in the naming day ceremony in three days. The emperor plans to name Indianapolis after himself. Apollo and Calypso will head to the zoo, while Leo will stay back to fortify the Waystation.

The night before Apollo and Calypso head out to the zoo, Leo tells Apollo about his relationship with Calypso. Though the two are inseparable, Calypso may resent Leo for taking her away from the island where she was imprisoned by the gods for millennia. Calypso loves gardening and weaving and staying in one place, but Leo, who has been raised in foster homes, has always been on the run. Calypso also lost her magical powers when she chose freedom. Apollo tells Leo their relationship is going through teething troubles; the friction will end when he and Calypso begin living together in a safe place.

Apollo has a dream that clarifies his relationship with Trophonius. Trophonius was Apollo’s demigod son with the wife of King Erginus. Agamethus, the headless ghost of the Waystation, was the half-brother of Trophonius. The brothers, great architects, were tasked with building the treasury of King Hyerius but planned to rob it. King Hyerius suspected a breach and booby-trapped the treasury without their knowledge. When Trophonius and Agamethus were sneaking out of the treasury with their loot, a mechanical bow fatally shot Agamethus. In agony, Agamethus begged Trophonius to kill him so his body couldn’t be identified. Trophonius beseeched Apollo to save them, but Apollo ignored his prayer, upset that Trophonius would use his magical powers for theft. A despairing Trophonius beheaded Agamethus.

In the present, Apollo’s dream changes. He sees the New Hercules, whom he recognizes as the ancient Roman emperor Commodus. Commodus is in a huge hall lined with TV screens. He shouts at Marcus and Vortigern over losing Meg, whom they were accompanying. He blames the debacle on Cleander, his chief advisor. Commodus summons the next person in the chain of command, a young man called Lityerses. On the emperor’s order, Lityerses beheads Cleander, Marcus, and Vortigern. Commodus is delighted, names Lityerses his chief commander, and charges him with capturing Apollo and Meg.

On the way to the zoo, Apollo tells Calypso about his nightmares. Calypso thinks Trophonius may be angry with Apollo for not answering his prayers, which makes the already-dangerous oracle an even greater threat. To find the magical creatures, Apollo consults the talking arrow that the Grove of Dodona fashioned for him. The arrow speaks in old-fashioned English and answers only direct questions. Through a series of queries, Apollo manages to deduce that he and Calypso need to ride a “CHOO CHOO” (111) or toy train to get to the creatures and can gain the beasts’ trust with “tater tots” (111).

The zoo is curiously empty of people. Apollo and Calypso snipe about their lost powers while they look for the enclosure of the magical animals. Apollo tells Calypso her exile on Ogygia was comfortable because the tropical island was so beautiful. Calypso chose to give up her powers for a mortal life with Leo, whereas Apollo was made human against his will by an angry Zeus. They halt their argument when they spot a café advertising four kinds of tater tots. Just then, they overhear Lityerses close by. Calypso and Apollo hide inside the café.

Calypso wishes Apollo would experience a surge of godly strength that would save them. Apollo’s superhuman powers had returned for an instant while fighting Nero’s soldiers in The Hidden Oracle. Calypso uses her weaving skills to pick a lock in the café with a hairpin. The unlocked door leads to a freezer containing treats for the magical animals. One of these treats is gold-coated tater tots for the griffins. Another is cubes for combat ostriches. The mention of combat ostriches triggers more memories in Apollo. For entertainment, Commodus used to host cruel games pitting starved and angry animals against each other and people. The combat ostriches were particularly dangerous. The young Commodus was extraordinarily handsome—thus, the title New Hercules—and Apollo’s lover. When Commodus’s father died, Apollo blessed him but knew the cruel young prince would turn into an even more brutal emperor. In the present, Calypso asks Apollo to grab the gold-coated tater tots so they can leave the café.

Calypso and Apollo run into Germanus (plural Germani) soldiers—ancient warriors used by the Triumvirate. Apollo nocks an arrow to shoot at them, but Calypso suggests a different tactic. She fake-curses Apollo, and Apollo pretends to faint. Fearing she may do the same to them, the Germani flee. Calypso leads Apollo to the toy train ride, the “choo” mentioned by the Dodona arrow, only to find Lityerses waiting for them. Lityerses shouts for his guards. He taunts Calypso when he realizes she is Leo’s girlfriend. Lityerses fought against Leo in The Lost Hero, part of Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series. Meanwhile, Apollo tries to think of a plan of escape. He can sense ivy growing on the canopy above the train station. The canopy collapses on Lityerses, and Apollo and Calypso get onto the train.