4

The next morning, Percy was moved to cabin three. Anyone could tell he wasn't happy about it. I think he feels lonely. The whole camp was talking about the hellhound attack, but stopped immediately when Percy was near. I think he knew what they were talking about him when they suddenly just shut up when he was near.

When I taught him Greek in the morning, I always got distracted by my own thoughts. Percy would stare at me and stop reading when I zoned out. Then he'd say something and interrupt me, when I was thinking of a way to get a quest. I had a lot of different questions going through my mind: Poseidon's child? What powers will he have then? That god has a rivalry with my mother; will Percy and I get along, now? We can still be friends, though.

I could tell that Percy was getting annoyed with everyone for ignoring him.

***Next Morning***

Chiron came to my cabin early in the morning, before the sun had come out. A thunderous storm was brewing. He asked me to come to the Big House.
"Come quickly. This may be your chance to have a quest, Annabeth," Chiron told me, "Bring your cap,"
My mouth opened slightly, I had been waiting to go on a quest since I was seven. I shot out of bed quickly, got dressed in casual clothes, put my cap of invisibility on my head, and hurriedly ran after Chiron.
He was heading to the Big House; I could see Mr D sitting in the porch, play pinochle (obviously). Around camp, everyone was doing their normal activities, but everything was tense; many eyes constantly glanced at the storm.
I sat on a chair to the right of Mr D; Chiron dealed the cards, giving us five cards each. Mr D was wearing his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt, beige knee length shorts, purple socks and trainers; his diet coke was situated right in front of him. We played pinochle until Percy and Grover came into the porch.
"Well, well," Mr D said without looking up, he definitely was not in a good mood. "Our little celebrity."
Percy didn't say anything.
"Come closer," Mr D said, "And don't expect me to kowtow you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-beard is your father."
A net of lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder shook the windows of the house.
"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.
Chiron pretended to be really interested in his cards, Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth."
"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr D," Chiron put in.
"Nonsense," Dionysus said, "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to sustain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."
"Mr D-" Chiron warned.
"Oh, alright," Dionysus relented, "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose. I thought Mr D was going to give him a quest that Chiron was going on about, so I dropped my cards thinking this was my chance to go on a quest, even if it was with a child of one of the Big Three. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into a Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're all that smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."
Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and turned it in to a security Olympus pass.
He snapped his fingers.

The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a holograph, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving the smell of fresh grapes behind.
Chiron turned his back to me and spoke to Percy and Grover. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover."
They did.
Chiron laid his hands on the table, setting down a winning card he hadn't got to use.
"Tell me , Percy," He said, "What did you make of the hellhound?"
Percy shuddered when he said the monsters name. The thought even made me shudder, just thinking about it. Percy was silent for a moment, then he said, "It scared me," He paused, "IF you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."
"You'll meet far worse, Percy. Far worse, before your done."
"Done…with what?"
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?" I crossed my fingers, hoping he would say yes. Then I realized Grover was doing the same thing.
Percy glanced at Grover, then at Grover's hands.
"Um, sir," Percy said, "You haven't told me what it is yet."
I took a look at Chiron's face. He grimaced. "Well that's the hard part, the details."

Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had reached the edge of the beach. The sea was sending violent waves across the shore. It looked like the sea and the sky were fighting.
"Poseidon and Zeus." Percy said, "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"
Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.
Chiron sat forward in his wheel chair. "How did you know that?"
Percy's face reddened a little. I put my head in my hands, he shouldn't have said anything. "The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth-" I lifted my head off my hands. "- and she'd overheard something about a theft. And… I've also been having these dreams."
"I knew it," Grover said.
"Hush, satyr." Chiron ordered.
"But it is his quest!" His eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"
"Only the Oracle can determine," He stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."
This is really bad, I thought. Percy laughed nervously. "A what?"
"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two foot long cylinder of high grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with gods level explosives."
"Oh."
"Zeus's master bolt." Chiron was getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all the other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the titans, the bolt that sheered the top off of mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."
"And it's missing?"
"Stolen," Chiron said.
"By who?"
"By whom," Chiron corrected. "By you."
Percy's mouth dropped open.
"At least"-Chiron held up a hand- "That's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterwards, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly- that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."
"But I didn't-"
"Patience and listen, child." Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes his has found his thief." "I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"
Me, Grover and Chiron all glanced nervously at the sky; the storm was rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin.
"Er, Percy...?" Grover said. "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."
"Perhaps paranoid." Chiron suggested. I zoned out of the conversation for a while, my concentration on the storm that now covered the whole campsite and more.
Chiron caught my attention a couple of minutes later saying, to Percy, "...You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."
"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?" Percy asked.
"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."
Percy gulped. "Good reason."
He looked at Grover, he nodded encouragingly. I hoped he would say yes, I crossed my fingers again.
A couple of minutes later, "All right," Percy said. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin." I let out a breath that I realised I had been holding.
"Then it is time you consulted the Oracle." Chiron said, "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more." A look of worry spread across Percy's face. Then he got up and silently walked up the stairs, to the attic.
We all sat in silence, while we waited for Percy.

A quarter of an hour later, Percy came back into the porch, he looked pretty shaken up. When Percy sat down, Chiron said, "Well?"
"She said I would retrieved what was stolen." Yes! But what else did it say, I thought. Grover sat forward, still chewing the remainder of his tin can, "That's great!"
"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed, "This is important."
"She...she said I would go west and face the god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned." I smiled. But who was this god that turned?
"I knew it." Grover said.
Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"
Percy was silent for a while, it seemed he didn't want to tell us. That made me suspicious. Then after a while of silence, "No," He said, "That's about it." I could tell he was lying, so could Chiron by the look on his face.
"Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until the events come to pass."
Percy looked uncomfortable. "Okay," He said anxiously, "So where do I go? Who is this god in the west?"
"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said, "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in war, who stands to gain?"
"Somebody else who wants to take over?" Percy said.
"Yes, quite. Someone who harbours a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided aeons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with t he deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into a oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken." Hades, I thought.
"Hades," said Percy after a couple of seconds.
Chiron nodded, "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."
A scrap of aluminium dribbled out a Grover's mouth, "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"
"A fury came after, Percy," Chiron reminded him. I remembered Percy talking about a fury in his sleep. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."
"Yes but- but Hades hates all heroes." Grover protested, "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son a Poseidon..."
"A hellhound got into the forest." Chiron continued. Yes this all makes sense, I thought deeply. "Those can only be summoned from the fields of punishment, and it had to be summoned from someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."
"Great," Percy muttered, "That's two major gods who want to kill me."
"But a quest to..." Grover swallowed. "I men, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."
"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt." Chiron insisted, "He hid it in the underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motive's perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."
I was thinking hard on how to get into the underworld, Percy looked angry, he proably was miffed of that Hades had tried to kill him a couple of times; Grover was trembling. He'd started to eat his pinochle like potato crisps.
Grover really wanted his searchers licence, so he got start his journey to locate Pan, the god of the wild. If he failed this quest he would never get the chance to have the licence.
"Look, if we know it's Hades," Percy told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the underworld and bust some heads."
"Suspecting and knowing are not the same." Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades – and I imagine Poseidon does- they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot each other's territories except by invitation. This is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge everyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"
"You're saying I'm being used."
"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."
Percy was silent again, lots of emotions appeared on his face: resentful, grateful, happy, and angry.
The he looked a Chiron, "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"
"I had my suspicions. As I said... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."
"So let me get this straight," He said. "I'm supposed to go to the underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."
"Check," Chiron said.
"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."
"Check."
"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."
"That's about right."
Percy looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.
"Did I mention Maine is very nice place this time of year?" he asked weakly.
"You don't have to go," Percy told him, "I couldn't ask that of you."
"Oh..." He shifted his hooves, "No...It's just that satyrs and underground places... well..."
He took a deep breath and then stood, brushing parts of can and card of his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If...if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down." Awww. Then a sudden thought just popped into my head: will he let me join the quest?
"All the way G-man," Percy turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The oracle just said to go west." Hello? What about me? But then I remembered I was invisible and Chiron hadn't told me to take my cap of yet.
"The entrance to the underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right know, of course, it's in America."
"Where?"
Isn't it obvious? All of us except Percy looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the underworld is in Los Angles."
"Oh," Percy said, "Naturally. So we just get on a plane-"
"No!" Grover shrieked, "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"
Percy shook his head. He looked embarrassed.
"Percy, think," Chiron said, "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is with Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an aeroplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down alive again." Smart mother, I thought.
Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.
"Okay," Percy said. "So, I'll just travel overland."
"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help." My heart rose.
"Gee," Percy said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?" I'm not stupid! I took my invisibility cap off. I shimmered into existence. I stuff the cap in my back pocket.
"I've been waiting for this quest a long time, Seaweed Brain," I said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."
"If you do say so yourself," He said. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?"
My cheeks flushed. "Do you want my help or not?"
He thought for a moment. "A trio," He said, "That'll work." I smiled.
"Excellent." Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."
Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.
"No time to waste," Chiron said, "I think you should all get packing."