The Crazy Quest
P|| 'This is crazy, Chiron', I said but the centaur's expressions remained unchanged. For a moment I wondered if he had even heard what I said. He clearly wasn't consulting whether or not to choose the way, he simply had made the decision. He just was here to know if we were helping him or not. In my opinion, the centaur has gone insane, just like the rest of his brethren (which will be an understatement, since even they wouldn't opt such a deadly quest even if drunk). After all a person, or centaur, who has been alive for the last three thousand years can't be expected to be all fine and sane. Chiron finally looked up from his tea and seemed to be reading my expression.
'There's no other way around this one, Percy. You of all heroes must understand this. If there was, that's where I would've been. This is not what I would want to do. But the prophecy has made it clear that I will need you for the quest. I thought it might as well be referring to Tyson but when I sought it carefully, it seems that it can't be him. On the other hand I will also need a child of the war god, hence Clarisse.' Chiron seemed to be on the very edge of his control. I wish Annabeth was here, she could calm him down before he gets all steely.
'What about the prophecy?', I asked. Even Clarisse looked up to Chiron. It meant either she hadn't heard it or they were both afraid to tell about it to me. Her hair was a disaster and the look on her face told that she was somewhat glad to be indoors. Maybe she to go through a lot just to get here on her own. She looked at me staring at her and her expression changed from glad- and- calm to grim- and war- like. I seriously had that sudden urge to laugh and I tried hard not to smile. But then Chiron's voice jolted me back to the present and poof! The seriousness was back.
'The prophecy. I guess it will be wise for both of you not to know what it says. I do not know myself if any such thing has happened before and how it is going to happen in the future, but one thing is clear in the rhyme.' Chiron stopped and the anxiety level around would have suddenly boosted because I was able to hear the breathing of everyone in the room for an instant.
As soon Chiron as opened his mouth to answer another voice broke in and interrupted him.
'You won't like the prophecy, Percy. Just know that this prophecy revolves around everything that you have known exists. Everything that exists- Gods, demigods, monsters, and even mortals- everything will fade. Nothing will be left to look forward to if you fail in this quest Percy. And to remind you one thing, the leader of this quest is Chiron, not you. I think he at least has the right to take some decisions without consulting, don't you?' Nico di- Angelo stood with his arms crossed. He seemed about an inch taller than I last saw him, wore pretty much the same outfit he had been wearing last and had his Stygian iron sword around his belt. I remember the first time he showed up with that sword and looked all serious calling that thing Stygian iron and all. He looked all too serious for a kid of his age then. Now hardly anyone would dare to get on his bad side especially with the dead rising all around him whenever he gets tense. But the grief in his eyes was still the same as if he had just lost his sister. In human years, this guy was about fourteen years but the truth is only what a few people know. 'What all has been happening seems to be the work of Kronos. Something about the Gods essences fading slowly. It had started just after the Titan War. Earlier the Gods thought that it was just some minor disturbance. But my dad, Hades seemed to know more. He told me that it could be the start of something even more dangerous than the Titans and that the Titan War could just have been a cover up for something even bigger. I tried to talk to him about it but he refused. Only when their symbols of power disappeared did they take the matter into consideration.', he finished. judging from everyone's faces around me I got the feeling that everyone was tensed as if bearing the news was like bearing the sky (believe me it is dreadful). The only one who seemed somewhat unfazed by the news was Chiron.
'I guess I shouldn't have told that,' said Nico and walked in from the fire escape where he had melted out from the shadows. That guy gives me creeps. Maybe all children of Hades are like that. It is difficult to say since Nico was the only child of Hades I have ever encountered. Nico walked in and blinked a few times adjusting to the light of the sun streaming from the adjacent window. How much time has this guy spent in the darkness? I just imagined Apollo catching his ears and doing sit- ups for casting light on this guy's favourite shadowy corner. The thought gave me goose bumps.
I suddenly saw mom exchanging looks with Chiron with the corner of my eye. Then she looked up and said something I had been wishing a moment before. 'Percy, pack up your things. You are leaving for camp right now.' I was so glad to hear this that I tripped over my foot getting up from my chair and fell face first on the floor. Great! I heroic Percy Jackson lost to his own stubborn leg on one- on- one combat. Mom came over to my side but I was already up and in my room. In the meantime I saw Clarisse enter the washroom and heard the click of the front door being closed. Nico came to my room and watched me pack silently.
'Do you have any idea of what's going on?', I asked him without turning as I stuffed all my important belongings in my travel bag. 'Yup, a faint sketch. But it can be something else. I am not entirely sure', he answered back. I fished out the gift for Annabeth that I had brought from a gift shop near the candy store in which my mom worked. 'So where have you been for the last few weeks. I mean Kronos is gone, Camp is now flooded with newer recruits.'
'Yeah, I noticed. Autumn break's here. I had been to camp a couple of times and have been in the underworld mostly. You know, training and learning.'
'You don't have to be an outsider Nico. You can come to camp, live in the Hades cabin, or even the Big House, but you don't have to act like you are alone. You have friends. Just trust them and give them a chance.' I just hoped that I did not sound too philosophical. Whatever the case was, Nico smiled warily.
'It's not that. It's just that Hades is not a very friendly kind of god. death is not welcome everywhere, Percy. And we children of Hades, we are sort of- ', Nico was interrupted by mom who called out that everyone was ready to leave.
'You know what, I will tell you this some other day. Just get to camp and prepare for the quest.' With that, he just closed his eyes and melted into the shadows. I walked out and met a fresh faced Clarisse which seemed to be no different from the other one because the both wore the same expression- I HATE YOU PERCY JACKSON- which was kind of very usual now. Even Chiron was a bit relaxed. We left our apartment. Mom insisted that she would drop me off until the car. We all got to the car where Paul sat in the driver seat grinning widely.
'Hop on everyone!', he said, 'Next stop- Camp Half- Blood.' With that me and Clarisse climbed into the car and Chiron stepped out of his chair revealing his stallion half and his wheel chair disappeared. I waved mom one last time as Paul maneuvered the car through the traffic and Chiron galloped in front of us in his centaur form.