The forgotten
Chapter two
POV Annabeth
A girl, not so far off, slept almost peacefully, for the first time, in a long time. For demigods like her, sleep was always trouble. They hardly ever got satisfying rest, always plagued by prophetic dreams, or just the very above average nightmare. Though, that night, for Annabeth, she'd almost gotten the most peaceful sleep of her life.
But, then again, almost peaceful is far from full.
In her current dream, she was standing in a place that smelled of turnips. It was moving, her feet told her, and it was very dark, the space limited. There were animals, in cages, where she was as well. A lion, a gazelle, and a few others, but all were thin, sullen, and malnourished. She'd helped feed them while she was here, briefly.
She remember this place well. After all, it was where she'd first began to fall in love with her boyfriend. But, apparently, he, nor their other friend, the satyr, Grover Underwood, were where they should be in this moving truck on its way to Las Vegas.
Annabeth Chase, however, was not alone.
Standing, just a few feet away from her, in all her magnificence, was Athena herself. For a Goddess, she was dressed rather modestly. Hair down in a tight pony-tail, only a small necklace adorning her. She wore a white sleeveless shirt, and some jean-shorts, with some flip-flops. If a regular person were to look at her, they might think she was on her way to the beach for some sunbathing and relaxation.
But still, even with all her wear, the Goddess's most captivating feature, as was for most of her children, were her eyes. Almost pure grey, deep and dark, close to pale, but not quite, and full of knowing. Those eyes caught Annabeth's, and Annabeth smiled.
Athena smiled back, but, as Annabeth didn't fail to note, the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Ah, Annabeth, my daughter. One would think you'd choose a nicer setting for a meeting of the minds then a place like…this." Athena said, looking around her, analyzing her surroundings. One could expect nothing less from the Goddess of strategy and wisdom.
Annabeth couldn't help but smile again. "Sorry mom. It's a happy place for me. And there are very few of those." She said, shrugging, looking around herself. She remembered this place well. It was a nice memory, despite the setting.
That seemed to be the last thing lady Athena wanted to hear from the look on her face, but she masked it so well, anyone other than one of her own would have missed it.
"I see…," She began, eyes going back to Annabeth, face turning serious now.
"However, we haven't the time for pleasantries. I've come to give you some words of wisdom, daughter. Forget Perseus Jackson, leave him be." She finished, almost curtly, but her eyes hid something. Was it…sadness?
Annabeth's mouth fell open so quickly she could've been mistaken with hearing a Cyclopes had suddenly been given a position in Congress.
"What!?" She exclaimed, staring at her mother in utter disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! The last thing she'd heard Percy tell her about her mother was how she'd given him permission to, "court" her daughter, though she'd seemed very, very regretful of the decision at the time.
Athena's mouth curled a little in slight, but she continued. "Exactly as I said. Heed my words. Forget Percy Jackson. A time is arising, very soon, when you will encounter him in a light you would never wish to see him in. I am risking Zeus's wroth by even speaking to you, as well as the Fate's own plans, but I tell you heed me. Forget the boy."
Annabeth could hardly comprehend the words coming from her mother's mouth, but she had to listen. There had to be a reason, a darn good reason at that, for why her mother would tell her something like this. At least there better be, she thought to herself.
"Why? The least you could do is explain, you owe me that much." Annabeth countered before shutting her mouth, and trying to keep herself composed. She couldn't afford to lose control of herself. She was a child of Athena, of wisdom. And an unfocused mind was the enemy of wisdom.
Athena's lips pursed, and she looked around, as if to make sure no one was watching, even in a dream. That only made Annabeth even more worried. Something that could frighten her mother this much warranted attention, especially from her.
"All I can tell you is beware. The cycle is already in motion, and Percy is far gone from the camp. Gaia has been rocked back into slumber, but her awakening has done something that gives cause for all the gods to fear. We are not prepared for another battle so soon. The worst of that battle has come and gone, but an old enemy stirs yet again, as they always seems to do. So heed me daughter, heed this wisdom I give you. Forget Perseus Jackson." She said, and, just like that, Annabeth's dream dissolved in nothingness, turning peaceful once more.
Hours later, Annabeth finally awoke, eyes shooting open. The sun shone brightly through the window in her cabin, telling her it was nearly in the middle of the sky.
She'd…actually slept in? That was something only Hypnos kids could do. Though she didn't have the time to think about that, only to rush to her dresser and throw on some clothes, and rush from her cabin as fast as she could. Her cabin-mates gave her strange looks, all looking up from their places and books and projects, as she rushed outside.
But she didn't have the time to explain though. All she could do was run towards the one thing she could think of in her worry.
Finally, she approached the blue cabin she knew so well, Poseidon's cabin, Percy's cabin. The door was open, rocking slowly in the wind as she ran up the steps, and threw herself inside.
No one was there. The room was empty. And from the look of it, it hadn't been for very long. The sheets was freshly ruined, tossed all about, as Percy always seemed to manage in his sleep. One would always thing a tornado had hit his bed smack dab in the middle.
She ran outside the cabin, eyes frantically now, searching the entire camp grounds. He couldn't have gotten far. Kids walked everywhere, all kinds, and all demigods. At the Amphitheatre, the Mess, the Armory, the Stables.
But she was only looking for one. And that one wasn't there.
Her feet took her to the Big House, next to the strawberry fields, where she banged on the door with her fist three times before someone finally came to open it.
And to her surprise, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the Oracle of Delphi, met her eyes, almost as worried as she was. She was wearing her classic paint stained pants, and button up shirt, and quickly gave Annabeth an all-to-knowing look.
"You know?" Was all Annabeth asked. Rachel gave a nod in reply, and they both walked inside the farmhouse.
Chiron sat, in his magical wheel-chair, blanket over his fake-legs that gave him the falsely human appearance and looked up at Annabeth, acknowledging her, before turning back to who he was talking too.
Annabeth's eyes went over to Mr. D, who was conversing with Chiron. He was dressed as casually as ever, Hawaiian shirt, and cargo pants, terrible looking on him and his pot belly. And his eyes looked bloodshot as ever, from the look of them. She gritted her teeth. If he knew about this, then she must be the last one to know. She hated being the one out of the loop…
He acted like she wasn't even there, and kept talking to Chiron.
"-so boy's gone, again, what does it matter?" He finished, from wherever he'd began, bringing a diet coke can he'd had in his hand to his lips, and taking a small sip.
"What's it matter?! Where is he?!" She asked him, about to go right up to the god of wine and give him a good slap, unable to contain her fury. She couldn't go a couple of days having Percy back at camp before their move to New Rome, without having him disappear…again?! And now, Dionysus was acting as if it wasn't a big deal?!
If Rachel hadn't held her back she would've had a broken knuckle to show for how hard she would have hit him.
Mr. D looked over and rolled his eyes, still slurping up the last of his diet coke, before refilling it instantly with a flick of his pinky.
"As if I would know, Athenian brat." He said, burping, before looking back at Chiron, who was sitting and thinking while all of that was going on.
"Anyway, the point of the matter is, they're awake again, oh how much of a joy that'll make them on Olympus. Zeus is fuming up there, to be sure. Perhaps a bottle of fine 1934 Chianti Rufina, or even a Kanonkop would do him some good," He sighed, rolling his eyes again. "Whatever his state, there'll be trouble. Try and fix this mess before they roll out the red carpet and all those nasty explosions." He said, and with a sudden pop, all that was left of Mr. D was the scent of diet coke on the stale air.
Annabeth's eyes turned back to Chiron, and they narrowed.
"What's going on? What's awake again? What's he talking about?" She asked, giving Rachel a look for a moment that told her to let Annabeth go. Hesitantly, she complied.
Chiron took a long time in answering. Slowly, he looked up from his thinking.
"The Erinyes," He was all he said, putting his hand to his heart, and making the three fingered sign that was supposed to ward off evil.
Annabeth thought hard for a moment, then shook her head. She knew very little of the Erinyes. All mythology told of them was that they were five, female spirts from underneath the earth, who took vengeance against those who had broken their oaths, or wronged others. Nothing major, as far as she knew.
"Their strength is known to few, hardly any but the gods themselves have ever actually fought them, in truth, when they've gotten out of control." Chiron said, voice low now.
But Annabeth still wasn't getting the picture. "But…if they only bring justice against people who have broken their oaths, why should we care? What's it to us?"
Chiron just thought quietly for a moment. "Justice and Vengeance are not one in the same, Annabeth. And no one has always kept all their oaths, no matter how hard they try. Not even the gods themselves. Not even I."
Realization dawned on her. Everyone on earth, her, Chiron, even Zeus himself had broken an oath or two, maybe without even meaning to, or wronged someone someway, somehow. And if these Erinyes's power stemmed from all that…they could be almost invincible.
"But…what does all that have to do with Percy, why would he leave now?" She asked dimly, thinking hard, trying to puzzle everything out at once with such limited information. She wished she knew more. Anything might've been of help…
"Who can say? But this couldn't have come to pass at a worse time…we are all so wounded after the War with Gaia and the Romans…we can't possibly marshal the strength fight another foe so soon…" He replied, deep in thought as well. Almost exactly what Athena had said, Annabeth reflected, not failing to note.
Finally, Rachel spoke up.
"That doesn't matter right now. We have to do something. And without Percy, it'll be all the harder to fight them. I'll try and find out if the Oracle has had a prophecy, which might be of help to us, and maybe contact the Romans," Rachel turned to Annabeth. "… and we can't worry about Percy right now, he'll be fine, he always is. Right now, we need to come up with a plan to stop the Erinyes."
She was right, Annabeth knew, but that didn't make it any easier. Fists clenched, gritting her teeth, she nodded, and stormed out of the Big House towards her cabin to speak with her brothers and sisters. They did need to come up with a plan…but she was infuriated. Percy left…again…When she found him she'd slap him so hard he'd feel it in his bones!
But…these five Erinyes awakening…what did it mean for the camp…for her… and for Percy…
