Daughter of Wisdom

by shiiki

What Annabeth Chase wants most is to undertake a quest, and when that chance comes, she's taking it—even if that means teaming up with the son of her mother's biggest rival. An alternate PoV retelling of The Lightning Thief. (Full summary inside.) *COMPLETE*

1. The God Of Sleep Gives A Concert

Daughter of Wisdom

Summary: What Annabeth Chase wants most is to undertake a quest, and when that chance comes, she's taking it—even if that means teaming up with the son of her mother's biggest rival. she thinks she's prepared for everything that could happen, but right from the start, nothing goes to plan. And everything she thinks she knows about the quest, her life, and her family, may just be turned on its head. An alternate PoV retelling of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

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Chapter 1: The God of Sleep Gives a Concert

I stared up at the towering building in front of me. The last thing I wanted was to gape like a country girl who'd barely seen the city in five years, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. Here was one of the triumphs of architecture, rising high about the other buildings (and in a city of skyscrapers like New York, that was saying something) with a delicate needle spire piercing the clouds.

Even if I didn't know that the Empire State Building was the gateway to the home of the gods, it would still be an impressive sight in itself. And I was about to enter it and take an elevator all the way to Mount Olympus.

I wondered if I'd finally get the chance to meet my mother.

Okay, you're probably confused at this point: what do you mean, meet your mother? Well, you see, my mom is a Greek goddess.

I should probably introduce myself. My name is Annabeth Chase, and I'm a twelve-year-old demigod. Like most half-bloods (half-human, half-god), I've never met my godly parent, let alone visited their holy domain. My mother deposited me on my father's doorstep in a golden cradle as a baby, which kind of turned his world upside down.

The less said about that, the better. I didn't live with my dad any more. For the last five years, I'd been a resident at Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place for young demigods. Outside of camp, without proper training, it's hard for us to defend ourselves against the ancient Greek monsters that are attracted to us like bees to honey. Most campers just spent summers there, but I was one of the handful that stayed all year round. I didn't exactly have a home I wanted to return to, and living on my own in the outside world … well, I'd already tried that and it hadn't ended to well.

The less said about that, the better, too.

As a year-rounder at Camp Half-Blood, I usually got to do one or two field trips during term time, but a chance to actually visit Mount Olympus, home of the gods themselves, was incredibly rare. They only gave permission every other decade or so. I could still barely believe I'd been picked as one of the lucky six to go on this trip. Since our activity director, Chiron, had announced it, I'd spent all my time reading up. I was especially interested to see which of the ancient monuments might have migrated west, and whether they'd look anything like the originals.

'Jeez, Annabeth.' Clarisse, my fellow camper, pinched my arm. 'Are you just gonna stand out here staring at it?' She sounded edgy, like she was preparing for an attack. She generally did—as a daughter of the war god Ares, Clarisse was always spoiling for a fight. I couldn't blame her in this instance, though. Six half-bloods in the middle of New York City were bound to attract monster attention sooner or later.

'Come on, guys,' Luke said. He was the oldest member of our group, and officially our chaperone, though he acted pretty cool about stuff like that. Luke treated everyone like they were on the same level. He was probably the kindest person I knew. I don't generally put a lot of faith in people, but Luke was one of the few friends I had that I actually felt I could trust. (That list wasn't long.)

I blushed as Luke put an arm around me to steer me after the rest of the group, through the door. My heart, already bursting with anticipated excitement, did a flip-flop. I told myself it probably didn't mean anything. I'd known Luke for five years—practically forever for a half-blood—and I used to think of him as an awesome big brother. But since he got back from a quest two years ago, things had changed. He'd come back more rugged, more grown-up, like he'd crossed the line into a different world. He'd become head counsellor for his camp cabin and although he didn't exactly treat me like I was a little kid, we didn't really hang out any more. I missed the old Luke, but there was something alluring about this new, handsome version, too. I'd started to wish … well, I didn't know what exactly, but sometimes I got butterflies on the inside when I was around him.

The guard at the front desk of the Empire State Building looked bored. He was lounging in his chair with his feet on the desk. I was vaguely sure this wasn't entirely in keeping with his job description, but perhaps the Mist, which obscures magic from regular mortals, kept it unnoticeable. Certainly none of the other tourists milling around seemed to notice.

'How are we getting there?' Connor Stoll asked. He obviously hadn't done his background reading. To be fair, most of us didn't read very often. It isn't an easy task for half-bloods, nor one that really holds our attention well. Even I only struggled through it when I decided that the knowledge I could get outweighed the effort it took.

'The elevator,' Luke said. He addressed the bored-looking guard. 'Are they ready for us, Mike?'

'You'll be Chiron's group, then? Yeah, go on up. Six hundredth floor.' He handed a key card to Luke. 'Put that in the security slot. Make sure you're alone.'

'Six hundredth …' Charles Beckendorf gulped. He was one of the god Hephaestus's kids, muscular and sturdily built, but he looked a little green at the idea of being that high. Then again, there were phobias that got passed down godly lines. It wasn't like I was without them myself. Hephaestus had been flung from a mountain as a baby. An inherited fear of heights seemed pretty reasonable given those circumstances.

No one else seemed to notice Beckendorf's hesitance. Luke bundled us all into an empty elevator. Once the doors shut behind us, he stuck the key card in a slot at the bottom of the console. A glowing red button appeared at the top, above the other floor buttons, flashing the number '600' at us. Luke pressed it, and the elevator started to rise, accompanied by warbling strains of Frank Sinatra. I wondered if was the actual elevator music for all tourists, or special for Olympus visitors.

Up we went … and up … and up … It took a while. At the back of the elevator, Clarisse hummed impatiently and tapped her foot.

'Excited, Annabeth?' Luke said.

'Um,' I said, suddenly tongue-tied. 'Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's nice.' Gods, my mother was the goddess of wisdom, and here I was, sounding like a brainless bimbo. I cleared my throat and tried again. 'It'll be so interesting, won't it? To see—um, to watch the god's council? That's not something you see everyday.'

A shadow crossed Luke's face briefly. 'No, it isn't,' he agreed. 'I thought you'd be more interested in the buildings, though,' he continued. 'Aren't you into all that stuff?'

He's noticed, I thought. My face broke into a giddy smile. 'Oh, I am!' I said. 'I bet it's more glorious in real life than the pictures in the books—'

The lift shuddered to a stop, cutting me off. The doors opened with a soft ding, and my jaw dropped.

Mount Olympus lay before us, a mountain peak in all its heavenly glory. The sprawling ancient city hovered above Manhattan as though floating on clouds, giving it a fragile, ethereal feel. A narrow stone path led from the elevator, reaching across a gap below which the city of New York lay like a Polly Pocket village. Beckendorf swallowed hard and grabbed my arm tightly. I winced, but patted his hand reassuringly.

The path wound up the mountainside through the little villages of minor gods and goddesses and other immortals like nature spirits, all going about their regular business. Some stopped to gawk at us, others hailed us, hawking their wares.

'Concert tickets, special Friday rates!' a wood nymph shouted. 'Euterpe's first solo tour—you can't miss it!'

'Hand of glory, going cheap!' a man offered, with a dazzling grin. 'Best friend to thieves and plunderers … special offer, only five drachmas!'

Travis Stoll stopped, looking longingly at the hand, but Luke pushed him along.

'We've got a schedule to keep, bro.' He kept us moving up toward the top of the mountain, where the great palace of Olympia stood. Around it, I could see the various temples and dwellings of the Olympians springing off the mountainside. Each one had its own mount, cushioned by fluffy clouds. Every structure was unique in its intricate design. A temple of pillars and straight lines representing strength perched next to a watery-looking pagoda that was almost alive in its fluidity. Columns of pristine, sculptured eagles so life-like I thought they might take flight faced sensuous statues of barefooted maidens whose marble bodies beckoned to us mischievously.

It was all breathtakingly gorgeous. But it was also a bit … haphazard. If I planned it, I thought, I'd make it fit together better. I'd design everything as a whole, not just the individual structures.

I blinked, a little stunned at my own audacity in critiquing Olympus itself. The stubborn little voice in my head refused to back down, though. It's true. It's amazing, but it could still be better.

We hiked up to the palace, which was guarded by a massive bronze archway. Through it, the palace itself was forged in white and silver. I'd change the colour scheme, I thought. I liked the open-air concept, though. It was like the mess hall at Camp Half-Blood, natural and airy. Something like that would never be practical in the real world, but who worried about being rained on when you could control the weather?

The throne room, where the gods held their council, was through the courtyard. It had an actual ceiling, but I assumed it was more for decoration than necessity. Golden constellations winked at me from the dome: Andromeda, the Pleiades, Orion with his blinding belt. Below, amidst the gigantic columns that held up the ceiling, thirteen massive thrones were arranged in an omega-shape around a glowing central hearth, rather like the way the cabins were laid out at Camp Half-Blood. Except … thirteen?

I felt a moment's confusion, then I realised the last throne was a bit smaller, less ornately-designed than the other twelve, and it was out of alignment from the others. At the feet of its occupant lay a metal helmet, which seemed to radiate intimidation. Of course. They would have to have a temporary seat for the Lord of the Underworld's winter solstice visits.

'What is the meaning of this interruption?' a booming voice said. Even if it hadn't come from the platinum throne right at the end, in the same spot that cabin one occupied in the camp arrangements, it was impossible to not recognise the rolling rumble of thunder in that voice. The fire in the hearth crackled and rose to the height of a small waterfall. It burned so brightly that it obscured the faces of all the gods surrounding it. All six of us dropped quickly to our knees.

'We thank you for your generosity in allowing this visit, Lord Zeus,' Luke said hastily. I marvelled at his bravery in addressing the King of the Gods directly.

'When did I do that?' Zeus said.

'Last month,' came a familiar, bored-sounding voice. On the nearest throne to our right, our camp director, Mr D, turned his face to us. I still couldn't see him clearly, but I thought he might look a bit different here. Normally, he was a pudgy, pot-bellied man with squinty eyes and a permanent scowl. Here, he appeared to be more aristocratic-looking. 'I wouldn't have bothered, but Chiron was being annoyingly persistent. I suppose it is that time again.'

'We do encourage our children to seek out learning experiences,' a goddess to the right of Zeus said. My breath caught sharply in my throat as she rose and came to stand before us. She got incongruently smaller as she approached, probably because she was twenty feet tall to begin with and had to shrink to reach our level. She was still tall and regal-looking, with pale hair and sharp, calculating eyes exactly like my own.

I couldn't help myself. 'Mother,' I gasped.

'Ah,' the goddess Athena said. 'Here is one of mine. How fares your father, Annabeth.'

Of all the questions she had to ask! It had been two years since I had actually seen my dad.

'I—um, I don't know.' I blanched. Was that really the best answer I could give to the goddess of wisdom? 'He's, er, still lecturing at West Point,' I offered lamely. I knew at least that much from his last letter.

Athena looked at me sternly, with eyes that seemed to pierce straight into my brain. I felt like she knew everything about me from that one look: how I hadn't replied any of my dad's letters, the anger I would always have at him for choosing his new family.

But she didn't address any of it. 'I hope your birthday present has served you well,' she said finally.

I couldn't help smiling as Athena's words washed over me. I reached into my pocket, where I'd stowed the magical Yankee's cap. It had blown to me across the sound last summer, an answer to a prayer I'd offered, but to hear it confirmed straight from my mother's lips was a whole different experience. Athena had been the sender of my invisibility cap.

'I always keep it close,' I said, bringing it out. Next to me, Luke looked over in surprise.

'I always keep it close,' I said, bringing it out. Next to me, Luke looked over in surprise.

Athena reached out and I placed the cap in my mother's hand, wondering if she meant to take it back now. I hoped not. I hadn't even gotten the chance to use it in the real world yet.

Whatever Athena meant to say was forestalled by the arrival of another goddess. This one was, without question, breathtakingly beautiful. However, the expression she wore was that of utmost distaste. I cringed as Hera, the Queen Mother, bore down upon us and eyed me as one would a dirty sock.

'Gifts are meant to come at a price,' she said with a scowl.

'Ordinarily, yes,' Athena acknowledged. 'I would make an exception for a birthday, though.'

'Annabeth Chase,' Hera said dismissively. 'I suppose I should thank you for your hand in the fate of that misbegotten spawn of my husband's five years ago.'

My insides turned to ice. Five years ago, my friend Thalia, daughter of Zeus, had single-handedly fought off three Furies and an army of hellhounds so that Luke, our satyr protector Grover, and I could get to safety. All that was left of her now was a pine tree guarding Camp Half-Blood. Hera's reminder cut me like a sharp blade, spilling hot, heavy guilt throughout my stomach.

Beside me, Luke took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. It might have set my heart aflutter if I hadn't felt so wretched.

'And Luke Castellan, of the failed quest,' Hera continued. 'How proud your father must be, to have a coward for a son.'

Luke dropped my hand like a hot coal. A faint pink flush flared in his cheeks, making the thin, white scar on the right side of his face stand out sharply. Luke had been the last camper to receive a quest, two years ago. He alone had returned alive from it, but without completing his mission.

Luke ground his teeth at Hera's taunt, but he was wise enough not to retaliate. My eyes darted to his hand, which was now clenched into a fist. Did I dare return his comforting gesture?

It was a bit different, though. Luke had been with me for Thalia. It was something we shared. I hadn't been on his quest, and he'd never spoken of it to me. In fact, he'd been closed off and distant since returning, making it clear that he didn't want to share it with me.

Before I could properly decide whether or not to take Luke's hand, Hera moved on.

'More sons of Hermes,' she said scathingly, looking over Travis and Connor Stoll. 'What a family reunion this must be for you.'

She cast a look at Hermes himself, who glanced up from the Blackberry in his hands.

'Lighten up, Hera,' he said. I thought he might have rolled his eyes.

'Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus.' Hera wrinkled her nose and moved on, choosing not to comment on the fact that this technically made Beckendorf her grandson. I scowled. I was disliking the goddess more and more.

'And Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares. Six young heroes, all without a successful quest to their name.' She sighed. 'Not that I have any great love for heroes, but what a ragtag bunch you have here, Dionysus!'

'Yes, well, educational purposes, blah de blah,' Mr D said. He broke the seal of a Coke can with a snap and sipped it.

'I think that'll do for the introductions,' Zeus said. 'We've been interrupted long enough. We still haven't got to item two on the agenda, and I can see there's a long list of AOBs at the end. I don't want to be here all solstice. Send them off, Dionysus.'

Mr D snapped his fingers. 'Ariadne!'

Athena returned my cap. She and Hera made their way back to their thrones as a lovely young goddess with a sweet face approached the throne room. She stepped up to the council circle and kissed Mr D on the cheek, which was somewhat bizarre to watch. Most of the time, I didn't think about the fact that our grouchy camp director was in fact married.

'I am Ariadne,' Mr D's wife said—a little unnecessarily, given that he'd just summoned her by name in front of all of us. 'I'll be leading your tour today. Follow me.'

We got up and followed her away from the twelve Olympians—plus Hades—who returned to their council meeting. I could hear Zeus starting to heckle Poseidon about something that was evidently on agenda item one.

Away form the gods, our tour of Olympus improved greatly. Ariadne proved to be a good tour guide—probably not surprising, since she'd been a guide for Theseus in the ancient Labyrinth, albeit from afar. I listened in fascination when she told us a bit about that. There was no actual Labyrinth replicated on Mount Olympus, but Ariadne knew it so well, she was able to paint a decent word portrait. She had known the inventor, too: the genius Daedalus, whom I admired greatly.

Ariadne showed us the different temples and altars that had migrated with Olympus, explaining the design concepts and history behind each one and relaying some of the more gory histories surrounding them as we went along. Slowly, I felt the sting of Hera's spiteful comments fade.

She finished with Athena's Virgin Temple, which captivated me right away. It was held up by neat rows of pillars and close up, I could see that each one was in fact meticulously carved in the image of Athena. Every individual pillar featured a different pose, and the two guarding the entrance depicted her most important aspects. On the right, she was in full battle gear. On the left, she held a scroll and an owl perched on her shoulder. Athena: goddess of war and wisdom.

The golden brazier inside the temple burned with everlasting fire. Ariadne stopped before it.

'It was in front of this very altar that the god of the sea was caught with Athena's own priestess,' she announced.

Clarisse snickered. 'Going at it like bunnies?'

Ariadne pretended not to hear this. 'In retribution, Athena stripped Medusa of her beauty, turning her hair to snakes, and sentenced her to the fate of monsters. She lived on ever after as a gorgon with a powerful petrifying gaze.'

Connor whistled under his breath. 'Bit harsh. I'd have gone for shoving them in a lake, myself.'

I rolled my eyes. Trust a boy not to understand what an insult it was to desecrate a virgin temple in that way. Some strict punishment was certainly merited, though Poseidon really ought to have taken some of the flack, too.

'Well, that's it for the tour,' Ariadne said. 'We've got a special treat for you now. Private concert—Hypnos has set it all up.'

'Hypnos, the god of sleep?' I said sceptically.

'Yes, he's trying to branch out. Apollo's been giving him lessons on the lyre. He wanted to open for Euterpe's solo tour, but she insisted he test his act on an audience first. You'll do. Come now, concert hall's this way.'

The concert hall was at the bottom of the hill. It turned out to be one of the more modern buidlings on Olympus, clean and metallic, with a spiky roof that clashed horribly with the rest of Olympus's ancient Greek design concept. Hypnos was setting up rows of different-sized lyres on an empty stage inside the main amphitheatre.

'Oh good, my audience,' he said. 'Have a seat.' He gestured towards the rows of plush velvet chairs facing the stage.

'Well, enjoy!' Ariadne said.

'Aren't you staying?' Hypnos said.

'Oh no, I have an appointment at Hebe's spa, and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to score one of those. She's always full! And oh my, look at the time. I must go, she doesn't hold the appointments if you're late, the minx!' With a smile and a wave, she dashed away.

'Spa appointment?' Clarissed snorted. 'She'd get along with the Aphrodite kids, all right.'

'How'd Mr D manage to score her anyway?' Connor said. 'She's kinda hot.'

'I wouldn't say that too loud, dude,' Travis said.

'Pity,' Hypnos said, shaking his head after Ariadne. I wasn't sure if he meant her marriage or her departure now. 'Well, you guys are here, so let's get started.'

'Um,' Travis said, 'no offence, but is this going to put us to sl—' He was cut off by a large yawn as Hypnos strung his hand along one of the lyres, playing a soothing chord that resonated around the large room. The amphitheatre might look tacky, but its acoustics were definitely well done.

'I've been practising,' Hypnos said. 'Maybe you'll be my first audience to stay awake through the act. I hope so, anyway. If you do, Euterpe will have to let me open on her tour!' He strung another chord, and I felt an instant wave of sleepiness crash over me.

The music might have been good. I didn't know; by the third chord, I was unconscious.

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A/N: I've tried to incorporate all the little comments dropped about the winter solstice field trip along the way-trying to figure out why they were sleeping on a field trip wasn't easy (in my head field trips are day outings, rather than overnight) but I hope this was believable!

The next chapter will be titled 'We Leave Storms Brewing Over New York'. I have a rough chapter outline posted here on my LJ (where all my fics are cross-posted). The chapters loosely follow the ones in the book, but will probably be cut in different places. The chapter titles I've planned here may change along the way.

Let me know what you think! Reviews are very much appreciated!