Chapter 6

I hear the prophecy

It was a Monday morning, and I was dreading it, not because it was school, but because it was capture the flag on a Monday. We had to delay it because Zues was not happy and Dionysus decided to let Zeus zap his fist. The teams were, Athena, Ares, and Apollo. Even though Athena and Ares never agree, they decided all olympians' with the first letter as A fight everyone else. Combining Ares and Athena is an obvious loss. I was to take the flag. It was more or less me, and my half my cabin to steal the flag. Everyone else was on guard duty. As I ran across the river I was on their territory. I pointed up the trees hoping my cabin mates would see what I meant. We had to climb the trees to get over to their side. I saw the Athena cabin banner, an owl, and the Ares cabin banner, a wild boars head. We climbed through the trees. We were almost there! Then I heard a battle.

"That must be them taking our flag" I whispered. I ran across the trees and jumped into the clearing with the flag.

"Look! It's the Hermes cabin!" cried one of the Athena cabin defenders. They were quickly quieted. The rest of the Athena cabin ran out of their command tent, but the flag was already gone. I took out my sword and charged one of the Athenians. I swiped at them, but they backed away. I caught a glimpse of Thomas in a fight with a girl about 13 years old. Thomas tried to raise his sword, but she stabbed him in the stomach before he could get his sword up. I turned back to my opponent, it seemed like the second lasted a minute, I turned around and ran, I then kicked one of the other Athena cabin kids, and smashed my hilt on another's head. I saw a kid from the Ares cabin was almost to our side with the flag, I ran over to the river and kicked him back to my side and smashed there armour.

"Oops" I said "You shouldn't have tried that." He was to injured to get up, but he wouldn't die. I ran back to there side and fought the Athena cabin leader. They tried to stab me with a spear, but I easily side stepped their strike. I cut their spear shaft in half, but they used their steel grip to fight me. I ran at them and fainted to the left, but that wasn't my real intention. They would know I would try it so I rolled and hit their leg as they tried to stab down. Their armour blocked my shot, but I was behind them and kicked them into the command tent. I saw Annabeth trying to reorganize the Ares cabin. I ran and kicked her.

"Sorry Annabeth" I said as me and the remainder of my cabin fought the Ares cabin. They didn't realize the flag was down with their ally. I was about to charge another defender when Chiron blew the horn.

"The winner is team A!" Chiron said. We lost, but how? I knocked down the person who had the flag. I turned to see that an Apollo kid had the flag. The kid with their flag was down on the floor by the creek. I don't know his name, he is an undetermined kid in our cabin though. The defenders just sighed, they didn't realize how close we had come.

I went to talk to the Apollo kid who won it for team A. Apparently he had saw that the Ares kid was down with the flag by his side and just walked across the creek. I'm a real genius. I heard the dinner horn. I ran over to the pavillion. As I ate dinner (best type of pizza with a coke) Chiron announced the consequences for losing, "Kitchen duty for 2 weeks." which includes lava, where you can easily die, but if you call now you get 2 weeks free! Wait, I'm not doing an infomercial. Whoops. After dinner, I was walking down to my cabin.

"Wait, Luke, I saw you fighting today," someone called, "I need to show you something." I turned to see Chiron.

"Okay, what is it?" I asked. Instead of answering he walked towards the big house. He walked into the attic and the oracle sat there. He opened one of the one million necklaces the oracle was wearing. It had a note inside

"This is the great prophecy, it has been around for about 100 years," Chiron said

"What does it say?" I asked, I knew he was just going to taunt me with it.

"Best not to say it at night," he said. Called it. I told Chiron bye and went to my cabin. As I walked in I got a big surprise.

"Luke, while Thomas is in the sickbay you get to be the leader of this cabin!" said someone in the back.

"Is he expected to live?" I asked. The kids looks answered. His closest friends just looked at their shoes and everyone else was sad. Even though he was a jerk, he was pretty smart and helped this cabin a lot. Without another word everyone else went to bed, it was about to be lights out. I lay in my bed for a while then fell asleep.

As I woke I remembered that Chiron was gonna tell me the prophecy. I looked at the alarm clock. It was 7:30! Breakfast starts in half an hour! I rushed out of bed, got dressed and ran to the big house, all worries about Thomas were gone, because I was so excited. I ran into the door of the big house.

"Oww" I moaned. Then, opened the door. As I walked in Chiron somehow knew I was coming (psychic horse-man powers?) and already had the paper out.

"Why is your eye purple and your left wrist broken?" he asked suspiciously. Great now I have to explain how I ran into a door.

"I ran into the door, and, ya know, Hermes speed, and stuff," I mumbled.

"Oh, I see now." Chiron said calmly. "Well let me tell this prophecy before you lose your arm to a door." Now that was really embarrassing. Chiron took in a deep breath and let it out, obviously preparing himself to read this. If this prophecy scared him that much, I'm not sure I want to hear it. Then, I pushed on. If I broke my wrist and turned my eye purple for nothing I might just as well have 2 broken wrists and 2 purple eyes, but before I could finish preparing myself he read it.

"A half-blood of the eldest gods,

Shall reach sixteen against all odds,

And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap,

A single choice shall end his days,

Olympus to preserve or raze."

The words shocked me. One poor kid, who did nothing to deserve this, is going to die. If he ever heard this he probably try to not die. I went to the sword arena to practice. A lace I could forget those evil words. As I was walking down their Annabeth saw me.

"Was it necessary to give me a concussion so you could lose?" Annabeth said.

"Was it necessary for you to win?" I retorted, and kept walking. Annabeth had to slow jog to keep up.

"I obviously made that strategy to win!" She cried. I knew this was true, but I didn't want to admit it.

"Ok what do you want." I said in defeat.

"I want you to tell Chiron I'm ready for a quest!" I stopped walking remembering the terrible prophecy Chiron told just minutes before.

"Look, Annabeth, I can't do that you need a prophecy and I just don't have one laying around!" I yelled at her. She looked shocked and ran away probably to read a book as she thought of ways to get revenge. Usually my whole cabin had to experience it since it was a "prank war" between Athena and Hermes. I doubted that, but because she had recently become the cabin leader, they did everything she said. I headed to my cabin because time passed so fast and I had skipped all food that day. I went to bed early so I wouldn't be bugged by other kids. I woke up, in a dream. I looked around and saw a tree so bright I couldn't stare directly at it. I saw 9 nymphs with a dragon, that looked like a cuddly dog that grew to big and turned gold. Not to mention it doesn't have fur only scales, but what really caught my eye was an apple. At first glance it looked like a regular apple that was gold with a few red flecks. Then I noticed that there wasn't red flecks and it was more shiny than a regular gold apple should be. I picked it up, and it weighed a ton. There was a story nagging in the back of my head about 9 nymphs, a dragon, and golden apples. I would have to ask someone from the Athena cabin. Ugh, anyone but them. I thought. I didn't want to deal with Annabeth, or worse, have one of the other kids drag me into a long conversation about how Captain America's shield literally flys. I got so off track the dream disappeared and I woke up. I bolt straight up and looked around. Everyone was sleeping. I walked outside and sat on the beach. The constant sound of the waves helped me think, though I wasn't sure what to think.

"Hello there." someone said, the voice was familiar. I looked to my left to see someone who I had grown to despise.

"Hello father," I said it like father was a monster. Nope he was a god.

"No need to be hostile," he said, "Let's just talk about that quest that is going to come up in, ohh" he looked at his phone/snake/subwoofer.

"13 days, 8 hours, 14 minutes, and 42 seconds." I stared, amazed that he knew that, then angry because it was my birthday present. August 19th. Probably the same second I was born too.

"Why can't it be the day after my birthday?" I said irritated I had to miss something fun for something I wanted.

"I don't know I'll ask Apollo to delay it, but don't get your hopes up," he said."Oh I got a call from Zeus about his flamethrower snake." Then he just disappeared. I heard a harpy scream. Uh-Oh. I ran to the Hermes cabin, and fake slept as the harpies woke all the light sleepers. Then, I actually fell asleep. I woke up the next day and ran towards the big house, and again I ran into the door. Probably a concussion, but I still I opened the door. Dionysius was there, but not Chiron.

"What do you want Lucas," he said gruffly.

"When will you say my name right?" I asked.

"When you do something worth noting," he answered. Great, so far so bad.

"My dad said I would get a quest on my birthday, and there is something with golden apples." That somehow surprised a god. I'm not sure how because gods know everything.

"Ahh yes I remember Hermes talking about that at our last olympic par-I mean meeting." Dionysius said still looking surprised. Gods just don't usually look stupid in front of kids.

"Well bye, I'm looking for Chiron, you useless lump." I said extremely angered by this annoying, stupid god.

"Boy, you don't know what your talking about do you." Dionysius said as I walked out of the room. I hope he would tell Chiron, because I'm not missing breakfast for the third time this week. Obviously I did miss it. I was grabbing it when grape vines tangled around my hands.

"I give up." I said and kids started giving me odd looks then saw the grape vines around my wrists. Every once in a while, this would happen to a kid and he would starve for 3 days before Dionysius would cool off. Only one kid was turned into a dolphin because Dionysius. Still, I tried to get more food. Of course it didn't work because nothing can ever be easy, even picking up food. I went back to my cabin and slept because I couldn't do anything else with my hands tied up, but even more nightmares came than ever before.

When I opened my eyes I was back with the tree, the nymphs, and the dragon. This time though the nymphs were talking to me.

"Don't you even think about it. Would be a shame to fall." one said I looked down and saw a drop that would surely kill any human. Then a voice spoke in my mind, definitely female.

"Don't do what he asks you to, these belong to someone more powerful than you." Then the dream faded. There was yet another dream. I saw a hole in the middle of a dark, evil place. I looked down the hole and heard another voice.

"Do it, slay the dragon and claim what is rightfully yours, great grandson." It said. I don't know who my great grandfather was, probably on the godly side since my mom has always been a little crazy. I take that back, a lotta crazy. The voice didn't stop there though

"Become invincible and claim your rightful position as a leader." The thought thrilled me. Invincible, leader. I tried to talk to it, but couldn't. Then I woke up. Not in my bunk, but in the sickbay.

I lifted my head and looked around I saw no one, not even Argus, the hundred eyed guard of camp half-blood. I was still in the clothes from last night. I tried to get up. I sat up with only pain in my back, then I lowered a foot to the ground. As soon as I stood up my back flared with pain and black spots threatened to take my mind. I sat back down. Why would it hurt so bad, all I did was fall asleep. I saw a drink next to me, it looked like honey, and for some reason I couldn't place what it was. I picked it up and took a sip. It tasted like coke straight from a can. Way better than those goblets that fill it with what you want. I drank of what little there was. I stood up again this time I was alright, though my legs were not functioning right and I was wobbling a bit. After stabilizing myself, I walked out and saw that there was a crowd of people around a group of girls ranging from 7 to 16, all wearing silver clothes.

No one noticed me walking towards them. I caught a few words about canceling capture the flag, and the hunters were amazing. Hunters wearing silver? Didn't seem smart to me, unless they hunted in the snow. Then, it dawned on me a little too late who they were. As I walked towards them they saw me, and they all recognized me, how can there memory be that good? Thalia, Annabeth. And I had encountered them before, on the streets. They almost convinced Annabeth and Thalia to join them. Then, there "leader," Zoe, called to me.

"Luke Castellan, finally found thou way here." Man, why do these hunters make things so hard.

"Yeah, no thanks to you, your highness." I said sarcastically. All the other kids noticed I was awake and somewhat well. Then, they just flickered there eyes between me and Zoe. This was a real fight for them, the best swordsman against the "leader" of the hunters. Hopefully we won't kill each other, it has happened before though.

"Fine, but we are here too." Zoe said "Now where are those girls you traveled with?"

I didn't want to talk about Thalia. It was too painful to think about her. Zoe probably noticed because she was about to speak when Annabeth came up.

"Zoe your here?" she asked "It's been so long!" she had become friends with Zoe, probably because they were nice to her, but they didn't want to endanger a seven year old.

"Yes Annabeth, it hath been." Zoe said "Do you know where Thalia is?" Oh no. What would Annabeth say. She was only 7 when she got here. Before Annabeth could answer (why is everyone cut off?) Chiron walked in saving me and Annabeth from a very painful story.

"I'm sorry Zoe, but Thalia was killed on her way here." Chiron said. Zoe looked shocked, she must know the prophecy, but for a child of Zeus to die in one fight, is crazy because their power. I just bowed my head down and looked at my tips of my shoes. Just then a pair of flying shoes came from sky. The other kids saw them, but I didn't so they smacked me in the head.

"Come on Dad, can't it wait a few minutes." As I looked at the shoes a peculiar, golden apple was in one. It was partly transparent, like a hologram. After a few seconds it disappeared.

"How long was I in the sickbay?!" I yelled frustrated. The other kids looked frightened, but finally one kid peeped up.

"Luke you were there for about 2 weeks, I'm sorry, but your skin was smoking like it was burning. Something powerful invaded your mind, and essentially tried to burn you up. Only gods have that power." It was Silena. Only gods have that power, that got me wondering whose golden apples those were. Then I knew it without Annabeth, Perseus stole a golden apple, Hera's golden apple.

"Well Mrs. Hera thank you for trying to kill me, it isn't gonna stop me." The other kids went wild and Zoe's surprise from Thalia turned insane, stealing Hera's apples is very dangerous and will most likely get you killed so she was partly happy I was going to die, and hated me because she was related to the nymphs who guarded the tree. Essentially she just hates me.

"Dad, why today though, there is so much going on." After that Apollo came from the heavens.

"Sorry kid, Hermes told me to delay it, but I don't control when they happen, they just do. The most I could manage was one second, so you have 48 seconds until you have to visit her." Well that was wonderful.

"Sorry Apollo, but can you tell Hermes to stop hitting me in the hid with his objects?" I asked, probably wouldn't work.

"I can ask, but he does like breakin noggins, one time he hid a snake in hephaestus's head. That was hilarious! Oop sorry kid, Zeus is hosting his next football tournament. Gonna it's Hera versus Aphrodite, can't miss that one." Apollo said as he disappeared into some mist dissipated by the sun. Apparently the kids had been counting down 'till my prophecy.

"14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0!" and of course I was pulled by an invisible force to the big house, up the stairs, into the attic, and right in front of the mummy. Green mist poured out of it.

To the mountain where sky and Earth are one

Where the dragons of legends are asleep

And where the nymphs are never done.

Where you will lay and weep

"Is it the pun that kills me, or the dragon?" I wondered aloud. I had memorized it so, I can do the quest. As I walked out into the yard I thought. Was the pun just so it can rhyme, even if it is imperfect? Or is it for the nymphs wake the dragon with a pun. I walked over to Chiron

"I got my prophecy." I said.

"Good we better get inside, and discuss it privately." Chiron answered. I told him the exact lines of the prophecy. He looked like this was odd.

"Lay and weep you say, is that what it really said?" He asked

"Has to be unless you know another weep that rhymes with asleep." I answered.

"Well this is an extremely dangerous quest. Stealing an apple, which god sent you again?" He asked.

"Hermes." I said with disgust.

"Not surprising, but you should start your search at Mt. Tam, where Atlas holds the sky away from Earth." Why not. Because devils mountain, actually has a devil. It is on the west coast, very dangerous.

"Well, tonight you pick your team, 3 is best, head out first thing in the morning."