Chapter 3

When I got to the entrance of camp, there was a huge group of people around Rachael. Everyone was so silent; you could've heard an ant scuttle across the ground. "What's wrong?" I asked, thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong. Yet she seemed fine when I got a closer look at her.

Everyone jumped at the sound of my voice. Annabeth came over, got a good look at me, and started punching me repeatedly in the arm. Hard. "Why" –thud- "didn't" –thud- "you" –thud- "become" –thud- "a god?" –thud-. Then she stopped punching me, but continued talking. "Did you chicken out or something? Because I told you to become a god! Do you realize how hard it is for me to let you go if you keep coming back? How do you expect me to choose between what is right and what I-" She realized how loudly she was talking and how many people were listening. She looked embarrassed, but whispered very softly, "And what I want."

I was still rubbing my shoulder (it seemed like all my invulner-ability was gone) when I repeated, "What's wrong with Rachael?"

Annabeth looked furious. "FORGET ABOUT RACHAEL! WHY DIDN'T YOU BECOME A GOD?" she screamed, then punched me again, even harder this time.

"Owwww," I complained.

Her face softened a bit. "I thought you were invulnerable. YOU BETTER TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG, SEAWEED BRAIN, OR I'LL PERSONALLY THROW YOU INTO TARTARUS!"

I explained to her everything that happened, how the gods each added something to the container, how someone apparently messed with it, how I wasn't invulnerable anymore, and how the gods and I would die unless we caught the person that did it. Annabeth looked worried, but I asked, for the third time, "What's wrong with Rachael?"

She was obviously angry, but evidently she knew better than to hit me again. Instead, she said, "Nothing. She became the new Oracle." She said it like it was no big deal.

"WHAT?" I yelled, a little bit louder than I intended.

Annabeth had an annoyed look on her face, like an I-can't-believe-he's-such-a-Seaweed-Brain kind of look. "I know you heard me," she said.

"Well, uh, I guess I'll have to talk to her about the quest." She nodded.

"Excuse me, coming through," I said to the crowd of demigods surrounding Rachael. As soon as I said it, they all formed a walkway for me to pass by. I guess you kinda get the VIP treatment once you help save life as we know it.

Rachael was already smiling, but she beamed once she saw me. "Hi, Percy."

"Hey." There was a moment of awkward silence so I said, "So. You're the new Oracle."

"Yeah."

More awkward silence. "Well, um, how does this thing work now that the Oracle is alive? Do I just ask you a question?"

She frowned, thinking about it. "I guess so. I haven't told a prophecy yet, so I have no idea."

"Okay, so how is our quest going to be?"

Almost immediately, Rachael's face went blank and she started speaking in a voice that sounded like three people speaking at the same time.

"Betrayal and deception

Is in the air,

So advance on your quest,

But treat it with care.

Unlike tradition,

A group of four will go

Into the dangerous underground,

Full of sorrow and woe.

You will meet a titan

Deep beneath the surface,

So as you descend into the Earth,

Keep in mind your purpose.

Your journey will end

With a good heart's last beat,

Only to find the answer always-"

Rachael snapped into consciousness mid-sentence. "Oh, Percy, I always loved you!" she cooed. Then she shook her head, saying, "Oh, I'm sorry! I have no idea what came over me." She briefly glanced at Annabeth, who looked furious, then back at me. She backed away, holding her hands up. Wise of her. "Seriously. I have no idea what came over me. And don't take this the wrong way, Percy, but I don't love you."

Annabeth's face looked slightly less murderous, and I said, "Sure. No problem."

Annabeth cleared her throat. When I looked at her, she said, "So. Apparently four of us will go into the center of the Earth, meet the Titan who lives there, and a good person will die, only for us to find out that the answer was always. . . well, I know it rhymes with beat." She paused, considering something. "I have no idea why the prophecy was stopped before it ended. Has that ever happened before?"

Chiron shook his head.

Trying to lighten the mood, I said, "So, it's pretty much just like every other quest." Annabeth glared at me.

"Well, Percy, looks like you will have to choose three companions to accompany you."

It was a no-brainer. "I choose Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson."

They all stepped forward, and Tyson said, "Yay, brother! We go on another quest and make more monsters go BOOM!" He looked so excited, I'd have hated to burst his bubble by reminding him that yet another good person was going to die. So instead I nodded and managed a fake-looking smile. Luckily, Tyson didn't notice. He was to busy hopping up and down excitedly, and I could've sworn that the ground shook slightly every time he landed.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson, please follow me to the Big House. We must discuss your quest privately." We followed him.

When we arrived, he spoke. "I presume that the easiest way to reach the center of the Earth would be through the Underworld. Hades has most likely returned by now, and I imagine he will help you, seeing as the alternative would be for him to fade and the Titans take over. Nobody has ever reached the center of the Earth, not even the gods. They have all found that there was some ancient enchantment blocking them from entering. However, Hades possesses a vehicle which, if used by the right person, will take you there."

We were all nodding, and Annabeth said, "It sounds pretty straightforward."

Grover looked uneasy. "Um, Annabeth? Don't you think that you might have just jinxed it?"

She had an exasperated look on her face (which seemed to be showing up frequently today) and said, "Grover, do you seriously believe in that mumbo jumbo?"

He sighed. "No, I guess not. I think I'm just nervous. You know how I hate underground places."

Tyson patted him gently on the back. "It's okay, goat boy. We survived Labyrinth. This will be easy as cake." Grover smiled at him.

"Okay, you might want to rest before your departure," Chiron told us. "You will leave with Argus at midnight. He will take you directly to the Underworld."

I tried to act calm as I headed to my cabin with Tyson, but I had a terrible feeling that maybe Grover was right about Annabeth jinxing the quest. If only I had known just how difficult the quest was going to be.