Annabeth sat nervously in central park, waiting with a cold sweat for her friends to arrive. She was anxious to tear new-york apart maybe the whole world and find her boy-friend. The first time this happened she nearly lost her mind, now she was smarter and ready to take anyone down if they got between her and Percy. She put her thoughts aside when she felt a warm wind pass by her face, she looked up to see Jason and Piper riding down on tempest.
"Sorry we took so long." Jason said. "I had to observe the final touches on one of Aeolus`s statue but...I`m guessing you really don`t care."
"No its fine, where are Frank and Hazel?" Annabeth asked.
Her questioned was answered when a large eagle carrying a teenage girl landed next to her. Hazel hopped off and Frank turned back to normal.
"Well the gang is all here." Frank said.
"No we still have to wait for "the man" to make a grand appearance." Hazel said.
A ball of fire exploded between the demigods. Leo stepped out between Jason and Piper. Jason responded by happily punching Leo on the arm.
"It's good to see you man." Jason said.
"Yeah, its been what a year since I saved the world?" Leo said. "And now were here."
Annabeth allowed herself to smile. Leo had come back a few months ago. Tears were shed grevious anger was unleashed and an awkward dinner was shared between herself, Percy, Leo and Calypso. All in all they were really happy Leo was back.
"So Percy got kidnapped again huh?" Leo said. "Are you sure you don`t want to keep a tracking device or a leash on him?"
"No Leo!" Annabeth said. "Now all we need to do is wait for Poseidon to..."
"Poseidon to what?" The god said, appearing behind and startling the demigods.
"Geez man, warn us before you do that next time." Leo said, catching his breath.
"I`ll not do that." Poseidon said. "At any rate I have a message from your father. He says he wants you to visit his forge in Montana some time, he was very upset when you died. And Annabeth...pray for your mother, I could not keep Zeus from unleashing his wrath."
"Is she still in one piece?" Annabeth asked nervously.
"For now." He said. "At any rate we need to begin the search."
Poseidon held out his trident and a golden holograph of an elaborate palace with a giant owl skull appeared.
"The court of owls." He said. "Or at least it was. During the ancient times it was located in a space between the underworld and the maze. As of now all we have to track them by is one of these feathers."
Poseidon took out the indigo and silver feather.
"Interesting, now don`t take this the wrong way your lordship." Leo said. "But...how are we going to use that to track these...owl people?"
"It`s very simple my nephew I think has the power to shape-shift right?"
Frank nodded nervously.
"All you need to do is transform into a blood-hound and trace the scent of the feather until we find them."
Everyone blinked and scratched their heads.
"Well thats...actually really simple and easy." Jason said.
"Not everything requires a prophecy or a quest of three." The god responded.
Frank turned into a blood-hound and Poseidon held the feather under his nose. Frank got a big whiff of the feather and began sniffing the sky and ground until he caught the scent. The gang followed after him as he led them through New-York.
"So this court of owls." Leo said. "Whats their deal?"
"Demigods." Poseidon said. "They think themselves the rulers of demigods and purge the earth of all non-Athenian demigods."
"Non-Athenian?" Hazel asked.
"Children not born of Athena." He said.
"Oh," Leo said, not trying to look at Annabeth.
"Relax, Athena has nothing to do with them." Poseidon said. "Unfortunately Zeus does not belive this. At any rate the court kidnaps demigods, drives them insane and kills them."
"They sound like lovely people." Hazel said.
"Indeed. I can only hope my son has enough mental strength to survive whatever they do."
"By the way, if you don`t mind me asking uncle." Jason said. "Why are you helping us, or at least why is Zeus allowing you to help us?"
"Zeus is distracted, this strikes him at a personal level as well." Poseidon said.
The gang continued to follow Frank the blood-hound until he got to an old run-down church. The windows were broken and the black paint was fading. Frank turned back to normal and began rubbing his nose profusely.
"So what does owl smell like?" Leo asked.
"Stronger than parrot, though not as strong as crow." He said.
Leo shrugged then jumped back as Poseidon slashed the doors to the church down. Poseidon stormed the church, the demigods behind him.
"Come out you freaks!" He demanded, "Its time to face punishment."
The demigods unsheathed their weapons and circled the run-down benches.
"I don`t think anyone is here." Piper said.
Poseidon continued to circle the room until he came across a jade owl statue on a clean greek style pedestal.
"Hey maybe this like one of those switches to a trap-door." Leo said.
"Okay before we do anything, we need a plan." Annabeth said. "Now..."
Before she could strategize Poseidon smashed the jade owl to pieces and a trap door opened up revealing a set of marble stairs. Poseidon bolted down them.
"Or we could just gung-ho it from start to finish." Annabeth muttered.
The demigods followed Poseidon until they reached a room of solid white. Weapons still un-sheathed they circled with the ocean god waiting for an attack.
"Alright owls, come and get us." Leo said.
The ground began to shake under them, stone walls exploded from under them. Shifting and twisting until a stone maze had encircled them. The demigods and Poseidon were surrounded and separated walls with owl faces etched into them. Loud explosions went off echoing throughout the maze.
"What is that?" Piper yelled.
"Its me!" Poseidon yelled, "Just stay put I`ll find you guys!"
Another explosion went off as Annabeth groaned and stomped her foot. She began walking through the maze, running her left hand on the owl faces and her right clamped on her bone sword. She heard a small rustling behind her. Annabeth cautiously raised her sword and swung it with a flash behind her. Annabeth had made a good dent into the wall, which was complemented by the sound of a single applause. Annabeth looked down to see a little girl in a gray sweater, she had albino white hair with gray streaks running through them and big gray eyes like Annabeth.
"Very good," She said. "You can slice into a wall better than anyone I`ve ever seen.
She tapped Annabeth`s sword and it fell back into her hand.
"Alright kid, what are you doing here?" Annabeth said, holding the sword under her chin.
"Well I can see you aren`t as easily fooled by me as he was." The little girl said.
Annabeth`s eyes widened and she picked the girl up by the scruff of her collar.
"What "he"?" Annabeth demanded. "Did this person have black hair and sea-green eyes."
"Hmm, yes, he was very pretty, though not as pretty as you." The little girl said.
"What did you do to him?" Annabeth said, pressing the tip of the blade against her cheek.
"He is here, he is with us." She said. "I`m Kipo, owner and trial maker of mind-garden."
Annabeth slammed Kipo into the wall and tightened her grip.
"You better bring him to me now!"
"You`re so rude." Kipo said, gripping Annabeth`s wrist.
She was surprisingly strong for her appearance. She forced Annabeth`s hand off of her and she dropped to floor, dusting herself off as if nothing happened.
"Now if you want to see your boyfriend you`ll follow me." Kipo said.
She folded her arms behind her back and skipped away. Annabeth followed her, resisting the urge to murder the little thing. All she could think of is Percy being hopelessly lost inside this maze. She, Percy and several others had barely survived being lost in Daedalus`s maze when they were fourteen. But this maze...no she knew nothing about this place, she hated not knowing about something. Finally Kipo stopped at a light gray door with a bronze snow-owl emblazoned on it.
"This door leads to the trial of pride." Kipo said. "Pass it and you`ll be re-united with your honey."
Annabeth raised her sword and pushed the door aside.
"Oh and Annabeth." Kipo said.
Annabeth turned to Kipo, trying very hard not to spear her.
"The king of owls roosts in the nest of terror. In the court of owls there is non fairer. Like mice he gobbles up your despair. In your sanity he`ll waist for his minions prayer."
"Wha-"
Before Annabeth could ask any further the door closed and disappeared. Annabeth found herself in a Greek temple, sunlight hitting her face. She walked through the temple until she came across a women with dark hair dressed in a simple blue blouse and a pair of jeans.
"Mom?" Annabeth asked.
Athena looked up and gave her daughter a dry smile.
"You`re late daughter." She said.
"What are you talking about?" Annabeth asked. "I thought Zeus was going on the war-path after you."
"Why would he be mad at me?" Athena asked.
"Because my boy-friend got kidnapped." She said.
"Oh, "kidnapped" huh?" Athena said, rolling her eyes.
A confused Annabeth walked up to her mom, she was looking over blue-prints of an elaborate futuristic city.
"These look amazing." Annabeth said in awe. "Did you draw these up."
"Of course not, you did, yesterday even." Athena said.
Annabeth looked at her mom in confusion, then her eyes widened as she remembered she had drawn these on her lap-top before it was destroyed. In fact up until now she had forgotten Zeus made her the official architect for Olympus. Her relationship with Percy had distracted her from this.
"I...guess I did." She said.
"Exactly, now if you`re done with being a silly little girl, we can start on rebuilding Mt. Olympus. Athena said.
"Silly? I just want to spend time with my boyfriend."
"He is an idiot." Athena said. "An idiot and a distraction. You are so much better than that inbred seashell."
"What do you have against him?" Annabeth demanded.
"You are a child of Athena." She said. "I am the goddess of wisdom, war and craft. My children are expected to grow up and make me proud, otherwise they are worthless to me and themselves."
Annabeth stood back and sheathed her sword. She walked over to a guard rail and looked over the railing down at the Olympian cities. Athena came up behind her and clasped her shoulders.
"Look darling, Poseidon`s little brat can be with someone else, you shouldn`t even date. The only thing you need to worry about is making me proud of you."
"The trial of pride." Annabeth said.
"What?" Athena asked.
"I see, it wasn`t my pride being tested." Annabeth said.
"What the Hades are you talking about?"
Annabeth turned around and clasped Athena`s shoulders.
"Mom, I love you." She said. "But I`m not going to live my life on making you proud. When I was on the quest to bring back your statue, you told me I had to dot to restore your glory. That glory nearly got me killed,and ultimately retrieving your statue ended up being a good thing for everyone, not just you. So...I want you to be proud of me, but I think I`ve done more than enough to earn it."
Athena snarled and tossed Annabeth to the ground. Annabeth stood up and un-sheathed her bone-sword. Athena had changed into her bronze armor, brandishing a javelin and Aegis shield. She held the shield in front of her only to have Annabeth slash it in half. Annabeth brought her sword down on Athena`s head who blocked with her javelin. Annabeth sweeped Athena`s legs and slashed her javelin in two.
"I love my mother, and will not be ruled by my or her pride." Annabeth said.
Athena smiled and chuckled wickedly, she stood up clapping her hands.
"Congratulations, daughter of the exhaulted one." Athena said, her voice becoming more raspy and croaking. "You have passed the trial of pride, now your reward."
The Olympic temple melted away to a pure white room with rosters filled with people dressed in indigo robes and bird `s face and body melted into a hunched over person in a Tytos owl mask. Annabeth raised her sword, but had it taken away by two giants in silver armor and had her arms pinned behind her.
"Rejoice my dear," Tytos said. "You are now one with the king."
Tytos produced a silver Great grey owl mask and placed it on her face. Annabeth screamed and flailed like a child having a tantrum as whispers filled the room. After a minute she stopped and the giants let her go.
"I hear and worship. All hail Athena. All hail the king of owls."
