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Franks Stick

Frank's stick.

Frank Zhang's life was tied to a piece of wood. If it burns up, he will die. It was given to him by Juno due to him "having too many gifts." It is supposed to be a huge weakness to balance out Frank's many advantages and gifts.

History[]

When Frank was a baby, Juno appeared in front of Emily Zhang and Grandma Zhang while they were sitting with baby Frank in front of the fireplace. The goddess warned them that when Frank's stick, which was currently burning in the fireplace, was consumed, Frank would die. Emily, in a panic, removed the stick from the fire. She and her mother would later wrap the stick in bubble wrap to protect it.

The Heroes of Olympus[]

The Son of Neptune[]

Frank was given the stick shortly before his mother's funeral by his grandmother, who tells him the stick's story. He keeps it with him all the way to Camp Jupiter, and at one point accidentally sets it on fire just by thinking about it. Frank is later told by Iris that he is destined to die holding the stick, watching it burn. At her advice, he confides his secret in Hazel Levesque, and gives her the stick to keep an eye on. The three later arrive in Alaska, and make it to where Thanatos is being held. Thanatos tells them "only the fire of life can break the chains of death." Frank, understanding, takes the stick back from Hazel, and uses the fire to melt Thanatos's chains. He then douses the fire, leaving the stick no bigger than a candy bar. He later gives the stick back to Hazel for safekeeping.

The Mark of Athena[]

Frank tells Leo Valdez about the stick while the two of them wait for Hazel to return from scouting under the Pantheon. Leo immediately begins to think about ways to work around the problem.

The House of Hades[]

Leo, while stranded on Ogygia, discovers Calypso can weave fire-proof cloth. He requests a small pouch made of the material, which she provides. He demonstrates the fire-proof capabilities to Frank and Hazel. Frank, grateful, decides that it is time for him to carry his own burden, and takes the stick back from Hazel.

The Blood of Olympus[]

After Gaea's defeat, Frank tells Nico di Angelo that he's surprised that he survived given the situation with his magical firewood. Having been told about it by Hazel, Nico is takes it as a good sign that Frank can openly talk about it now. Nico tells Frank that while he can't see the future, Nico can often sense when people are close to death which Frank is not. Nico doesn't know when the stick will burn up, but he knows that it won't be soon.

Frank Zhang

Frank Zhang, whose life depended on the stick.

The Trials of Apollo[]

The Tyrant's Tomb[]

By the time of Caligula's Assault on Camp Jupiter, Frank has come to see the firewood as a part of him, however he has become reckless. During the Battle of San Francisco Bay, he ignites the stick to kill Commodus and Caligula. Frank succeeds in killing Caligula, but only severely wounds Commodus who Apollo finishes off.

After the battle, it's discovered that, miraculously, the son of Mars does not die when the stick burns up. Frank is rescued by Arion and brought back to camp where he speculates that by taking his fate into his own hands, he broke Juno's curse, so his life is no longer tied to his stick. Apollo suggests that another explanation is that Juno herself intervened to help, stating that although it's quite unlikely, the goddess has always had a soft spot for Frank. Frank explains that using his stick in such a way was inspired by some additional prophecy lines from the Sibylline Books that Ella had only shared with him.

Trivia[]

  • This idea comes from the myth of Meleager; In Greek mythology, Meleager was a hero and famed host of the Calydonian Boar Hunt. When Meleager was born, the Fates predicted he would only live until a brand, burning in the family hearth, was consumed by fire. Overhearing them, his mother immediately doused and hid the brand. When she found out that Meleager had killed her brother for the love of the huntress Atalanta, she placed the brand upon the fire, thus fulfilling the prophecy and killing Meleager.
  • In The Son of Neptune, the goddess Iris told Frank that he would die holding his stick, watching it burn.
    • This somewhat came true in The Tyrant’s Tomb, when Frank burns it to take out two of the emperors but survives, symbolically dying to free himself of the stick and being reborn to a life not bound to it.
Items
Personal Weapons: Riptide | Annabeth's Knife | Backbiter | Master Bolt | Poseidon's Trident | Nico's Sword | Thalia's Spear | Aegis | Ares' Sword | Ares' Shield | Caduceus | Apollo's Golden Bow | Silver Bow | Artemis' Knives | Hades' Sword | Hades' Staff | Kronos' Scythe | Ivlivs | Katoptris | Hazel's Spatha | Frank's Spear | Reyna's Spear | Juno's Gladius | Annabeth's Sword | Sumarbrander | Gungnir | Gjallar | Mjolnir | Gríðarvölr | Khopesh | Mallory's Serrated Knives | Meg's Twin Imperial Gold siccae blades | Thyrsus | Hecate's Torches | Minotaur's Axe | Leroy's Sword | Tyson's Javelin | Alex's Garrote Wire | Piper's Sword
Magical Items: Annabeth's Yankees Cap | Helm of Darkness | Pandora's Pithos | Winged Shoes | Golden Fleece | Flying Chariot | Golden Apple | Apples of Immortality | Greek Fire | Hermes' Multivitamins | Nectar and Ambrosia | Stygian Ice Whistle | Keys of Hades | Leo's Magical Toolbelt | Serapis' Staff | Magic 8 Ball | Arrow of Dodona | Pig Ball | Mechanical Spider | Angel Statues | Athena Parthenos | Chiron's Wheelchair | Diocletian's Scepter | Flaming Dodgeball | Gleipnir | Poseidon's Pearls | Queen Hippolyta's Belt | Mistletoe Arrow | Frank's Stick | Expand-o-Duck | Caligula's Caligae | Ran's Net | Rune Stones | Nábrók | Pomegranate
Spoils of War: Minotaur's Horn | Medusa's Head | Kampê's Scimitars | Nemean Lion's Pelt | Gorgon Blood | Cornucopia | Lydian Drakon Hide | Phineas' Robe and Slippers | Triptolemus's Almanac | Odysseus' Astrolabe
Items: Camp Necklace | Chameleon Armor | Daedalus' Laptop | Golden drachma | Denarius | Red Gold | Mark of Athena | Thalia's Shield | Video Shield | Wristwatch Shield | Golden Mango | Sibylline Books | Letter of Recommendation
Ships Amos' Boat | Argo II | CSS Birmingham | Egyptian Queen | Julia Drusilla Yachts | Pax | Queen Anne's Revenge | Reed Boat | Naglfar | Gorgyra's Canoe
Blessed Metals: Adamantine | Celestial Bronze | Imperial Gold | Stygian Iron | Bone Steel
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