Chapter Four
"So who is this person that you think can help us?" asked Sadie.
Both of the girls were in the Kane's mansion. It had been a hard experience for Sadie to explain to Bast what happened. They had been unable to take Carters body with them so they had to leave it in the park. Anubis had promised to keep a watch on Carter's body when they had left. Even with Anubis's assurance, Sadie had to be dragged away by Annabeth, she didn't want to leave him.
When they had arrived at the mansion, Sadie had to restrain Bast from killing Annabeth when she found out that it was Annabeth's fault for Carter's death. Since then she had left the Mansion and collected Carter's body, and now she was attending to Carter's body.
"Before you get your hopes up I might warn you he may not want to help us, at least not me and defiantly not Percy" said Annabeth, looking worried.
"Why?"
"It happened last winter, Percy was sent on a quest with the boy's sister. In a great moment of danger Bianca sacrificed herself to save everyone. Her brother Nico, blames Percy for her death because Percy promised to take care of Bianca, now he hates Percy."
"So how would he help us if he agreed to help us?"
"He is the son of Hades, he might be able to open a way into the underworld, or at least sneak us in somehow."
"So do you know where to find him at?" Sadie asked.
"No," said Annabeth, "but I might be able to get a message to him."
"That won't be necessary Annabeth, since his magic aura is tied to death, I will be able to track him down" said Anubis appearing above them.
"You seriously need to stop doing that," remarked Annabeth sheathing her dagger, she had pulled it out at the sound of Anubis's voice.
Sadie ignored them both and looked at Anubis. "So you can find him for us?"
Anubis nodded. "It will take a few hours, while I search. I suggest that you go to Camp Half-Blood and receive a quest."
"Camp Half-Blood" questioned Sadie, "What is Camp Half-Blood."
"It's where all demigods go and train. I will have to sneak you in, since you're not a demigod you wouldn't be able to cross the magical boundaries."
"Good luck" Anubis said before disappearing. Sadie and Annabeth looked at each other and then left the Mansion, they hailed a taxi and Annabeth instructed them where to drop them off at.
Annabeth lead the way up the hill, Sadie stuck close to her as they approached a giant pine tree that had a huge dragon curled up around the base of it.
"It's okay" assured Annabeth, as they approached Thaila's tree. "The dragon is only here to protect the camps magical borders." They reached the tree. "I Annabeth, daughter of Athena hereby give permission to Sadie Kane to enter Camp Half-Blood."
Annabeth motioned for Sadie to follow her across the border. Sadie took in the sight of the camp as she crossed the border. The lava pits, the cabins, and training area.
"Why is it so quiet?" asked Sadie in a hushed voice.
Annabeth looked around and saw where everyone was. All the campers were gathered around a fire pyre. There were a pair of shrouds, Annabeth saw Grover and Tyson among the group, they somehow managed to escape the labyrinth. Annabeth's eyes focused on the shrouds, one shroud had a trident on it, and the other had an owl, Annabeth realized that it was her shroud.
"There having a funeral service. They think Percy and I are dead, there burning our shrouds," whispered Annabeth. All her siblings were crying, almost the whole camp was crying.
"Wow it must be weird for you to be looking at your own funeral" replied Sadie watching the shrouds as they were threw onto the fire.
"Yes," agreed Annabeth. "But this is the perfect distraction that we need. After I pick up a few things at my cabin, we can go receive a quest, and then be out of here before there done."
They proceeded to go into Athena's cabin where Annabeth packed a few cloths and a few other weapons. She began to turn around when she glanced at her bunk and saw the pen that lay on her pillow, it looked like a plain ballpoint pen, but she knew better. She gently picked it up and pulled off the top. The pen became a sword.
"Riptide" she breathed. How had Percy's sword ended up in Athena's cabin?
"Nice sword, Carter has one, but it Egyptian so it's curved."
Annabeth turned towards Sadie, "This is Percy's sword. It never leaves his pocket unless he purposely leaves it somewhere. He had it when he was blown from St. Helens, I don't know how it got here."
Sadie just shrugged, "This whole bloody mess is strange", was all she said.
Annabeth just nodded and lead the way to the big house. The big house was as silent as a grave. Sadie jumped at every creak, it only got worse when they reached the attic and she came face to face with a mummy. You think being a magician and a descendent of pharaohs would have prepared her for it, if you thought that you are wrong.
"Bloody hell," she yelped when she first saw it. It wasn't the wrapped up in linen mummy, it was dried up till skin is leather type mummy in a hippie outfit.
"Sadie it's okay, the oracle won't hurt you…most of the time" smirked Annabeth.
"What do you mean most of the time?" Sadie demanded.
"It has been known for some people to go mad when they are in the Oracles presence" Annabeth turned towards the oracle as Sadie stood there mouth gapping open.
"O Oracle of Delphi we come seeking a quest to regain Percy Jackson and Carter Kane souls from the Underworld"
Sadie watched the mummy, thinking Annabeth was crazy, when a green smoke began to flow from its mouth.
"Annabeth…" Sadie began unsure about what was happening.
"Shhhh" whispered Annabeth. "It's supposed to happen like this Sadie."
Sadie just stood there nervously and jumped when the mummy sat upright, the green smoke continued to billow out of the mummy's mouth, then she heard a women voice echoing in the room.
Lord Osiris kingdom is below the lands
Fate rests in death's son hands
The smoke continued to billow out faster, the rest of the mummy's words becoming muffled, Sadie began to cough. "Is this supposed to happen?"
"No," said Annabeth, coughing also. "Something is messing with the connection!" A thought struck across Annabeth mind. "Mother! Stop It!"
With the words barely out of her mouth, the green smoke disappeared as if it had never been.
Meanwhile on Olympus
Athena growled low in her throat as she was forced to cut her tampering with the connection to the Oracle. Despite being angry at her daughter, she was proud that she figured out it was her that was medalling.
"It's not going to work Athena, she's going to go after him. You know that you're not supposed to interfere."
Athena spun around to see Poseidon glaring at her. All the gods were aware of the situation that was unfolding, the ancient laws prevented Poseidon from going down to the Underworld and getting Percy himself, it also prevented the other Gods from going to the Underworld and 'talking' some sense into Hades.
Athena laughed. "You interfered when you put that sword in my daughter's cabin. Unlike you my daughter is still alive, and I want to see it stay like that."
Poseidon's eyes flashed. "My son is not dead yet."
"He may as well be, Hades will not allow him to escape. There is no point in sending my daughter to her doom."
"You didn't think that when my son went to save your daughter last winter."
"He went for his own selfish reasons, to get more glory."
Poseidon growled, somewhere in the world an earthquake shook the land. "You claim to be the goddess of wisdom but you must be pretty dumb to believe that Percy went on that quest just to receive more glory. Even if you can't admit it I know the truth. Annabeth and Percy love each other, even if they both won't admit to it, and you know this. Ask Aphrodite if you want more proof."
Athena stood up and faced Poseidon her voice rising in anger."Your son isn't good enough for my daughter!"
Before Poseidon could snap back a voice bellowed at them.
"ENOUGH" It was Zeus and he was tired and angry. The smell of burnt ozone filled the room as he walked towards the two.
Zeus glared at the two gods in front of him. "Neither of you will interfere with this quest any longer. What happens, happens. That goes for everybody else" he said turning to look at the other gods that had gathered behind Zeus.
Both gods didn't argue, but they continued to glare at each other. Every god was picking sides, surprisingly Poseidon had more support than Athena. It shocked everyone when Artemis sided with Poseidon. She just stated that she owed Percy for helping her out last winter, and with Artemis on Poseidon's side so was Apollo. Ares was on Athena's side as well as Hermes. Zeus was staying out of it and left the other gods to watch what was happening in the attic.
-p-p-p-p
Sadie looked around at the now green smoke free room. The mummy lay back in the corner as if it never had moved at all. Annabeth was cursing in ancient Greek. Sadie was slightly confused.
"What in bloody hell just happened?" she demanded.
Annabeth turned to look at her, "My mother saw it fit to mess with the connection, so we don't know the other half of the prophecy."
Sadie blinked, anger beginning to boil in her. She narrowed her eyes at Annabeth, "Why would she do that."
Annabeth sighed. "My mother and Poseidon don't get along very well. When I first meet Percy I wasn't friendly towards him because of who his father was. But since then we have become very good friends, my mother disapproves greatly. She probably sees this quest as a way to get rid of Percy for good, and stopping me from getting myself killed."
Sadie just shook her head. "So did you hear anything after the first two lines?"
Annabeth sighed. "No, and the Oracle will not repeat itself either. We only have the first two lines to go off of."
"Well I don't know about you but I think the first line is about my father/Osiris. Seems to me that we'll be going to the Egyptian underworld."
"Yes, the second part I am certain is about Nico. I don't know any other sons of Death."
"So I guess we should go back to the mansion and tell Anubis what we learned, hopefully he knows where that Nico kid is." said Sadie turning towards the trap door.
"Yes I hope, because where running out of time."
Sadie turned and saw Annabeth staring out the window into the setting sun.
"We only have two days left" whispered Annabeth.