Here we go people. I apologize for the wait, and i hope this chapter more than makes up for it.

I do not own Percy Jackson in any way.

I was on my feet in an instant, "It's Alexis isn't it?"

My answer was Grovers increase in speed of eating Percy's silverware.

"Shit, where is she?"

Percy answered me calmly, "I don't know."

"Well what happened?"

"I don't know that either."

I started to get frustrated as well as worried for my friend, "Well what the hell DO you know?"

"Almost nothing."

I threw my hands up in the air and took three steps away before turning back to face the man while running my fingers through my hair.

"Ok," I started, "what do I need to do?"

"I don't know-" he noticed my face getting redder, "yet! I don't know yet. All we know is that she's missing and Rachel is coming, she says she can feel a prophecy coming on."

I sit down and pull at my hair, attempting to calm down (slightly). Before getting up to walk to my cabin without another word. Resigning to myself that if there was indeed, a quest, I would be on it.

As it turns out, there would be a quest. And I demanded to lead it. Which nobody questioned.

I had never led a quest before, after the giant war there was peace and little need for one. So almost none of the newer campers had.

After it had been decided that I would lead the quest to find Alexis, Rachel immediately started spewing out the prophecy, (she had seemed in pain trying to hold it back).

The prophecy was this:

West unto land already known

Thee must meet the forest

In ways which few have been shown

To meet the goddess

whose alignments are forever unknown.

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other nervously before the man spoke up, "I have heard many prophecies, and so far they all said something about doom or the world ending horribly. So far though we've made it out ok, for the most part anyway

THAT prophecy however had a distinct and unnerving lack of 'razing.'" He made air quotes as he said that. Why, I don't know, and I didn't ask.

"Yes Percy," Chiron started, I could almost see him ageing in front of me. And from the looks on Annabeth's face, that's not the first time he's looked this way.

"However," he started again, "there's nothing to do about it. So let's move on." He looked to me, "Silas, you have the prophecy, vague as it may be. Now you must choose two people to accompany you on the journey."

Immediately I thought of Percy, he had been my teacher and instructor in almost every way. As well as one of my best friends.

I craned my neck to see him, feeling the tendons bulge as I did. Since he was almost directly behind me (I was standing face to face to Chiron) I only caught him out of the corner of my eye.

"Percy?"

I could basically feel him shrug, "I'm always game." I nodded, expecting this reaction, or at least something like it.

Now, who else to take I thought...

Turns out the choice wasn't really mine to make.

I felt a strong pair of hands grab my shoulders and spin me around before pushing me into a wall and holding me there.

A very strong (very scary) blonde started yelling at me, "If you think I'm letting this seaweed brain go anywhere without me you've got another thing coming!"

I panicked, "Of course not! I was about to ask if you wanted to come." I was lying of course, in all honesty I probably would have asked Nico. But Annabeth either didn't notice, or didn't care. Knowing her, probably the latter.

She simply scowled and muttered, "good," before walking back to the seaweed brain in question.

Chiron cleared his throat, bringing me out of my stunned daze, "well kid's, it's still early. So I suggest you pack up, say your goodbyes, and be ready to leave in two hours."

Nobody disagreed.

I walked into my cabin (which was empty due to everyone else training) and looked at my area.

"I suppose it's time to get suited up," I muttered to myself while reaching out for my gear.

The key for my fighting style is the same as it is for being a boy scout.

Be prepared.

And I took that advice to heart -like Annabeth would give me a choice.

First things first, clothes. From the ground up I went with my softest, quietest, and most comfortable combat boots. Black cargo pants that were cinched at the ankles so they don't rustle. And lastly a simple tight black t-shirt.

I chuckled as I reached for my first piece of equipment. Alexis would have made me change, saying I look too much like Rambo.

I shook the thought away and reached for my belt. Said belt had attachments that dangled down to the side of my legs and strapped around each thigh, holding a twin pair of hunting knives against me. Both have a slightly curved blade about 8 Inches long. Attached to the actual belt was a small tomahawk, a dozen throwing knives, and a large, double sided dagger on the opposite hip from the tomahawk. I reached for a small black backpack that attached to my shoulders, wrapped around and clipped in the front at the straps as well as wrapping around my hips to attach at my belt buckle. On the outside of the backpack was a black (if you haven't figured it out, I'm in all black. Most other colors don't work too well for running around and hiding) compound bow and on the other was a quiver holding exactly six arrows in place. Without them moving or rattling in any way.

If worn correctly, all of my equipment could be worn and ran in without making any sound.

I looked at my hands, at the one gift mother granted me with (by batting her eyelashes at Hephaestus I assume). It was a pair of solid black rings on my middle fingers. When touched together however, they become a pair of impenetrable gauntlets. To me though, on the inside, it feels as though I'm wearing a pair of well worn leather gloves, so I lose almost none of my dexterity. The knuckles were slightly spiked and worked as brass knuckles.

These were my main weapon, main defense, and main reason I could hold my own against many fighters. Including my instructors (even managed to beat Nico once, Percy twice, and Clarisse fairly consistently.

Annabeth was a different story however, she was just too damn smart...

I looked into the full length mirror once more, tied my hair back, and jumped around a little bit to make sure nothing rattled or shifted. Eaten by a monster who heard me when I dropped my knife, is not what I want on my headstone.

I sighed, stuffed all the medical supplies I could in my pockets and what room was left in my backpack (most of the room was taken up by clothes) and walked out to the tree which I had come to know as Thalia's, though I didn't know her personally.

There was still another thirty minutes until Chiron told us to meet, and nobody was there but me. I sat down, leaned against the tree, and closed my eyes, suddenly very tired.

"So, off on your first quest?"

I opened my eyes to see my friend and mentor, Nico Di'Angelo.

"Yeah," I said, not really knowing what to say.

"Well, I only have one thing to say to you before I have to go back and take care of some things in the underworld."

He sat down with his back against the same tree and faced exactly ninety degrees from the way I was.

"Percy can't understand this," he started, "the dumbass is brave, and smart, and a great leader who knows what to show people to get them to do what he needs, even if he doesn't know he's doing it. But he doesn't live in the shadows like us. He doesn't and can't understand this."

He turned only his head to face me, "You've never really used your skills to fight outside of capture the flag. So you haven't really come across this yet. But let me give you this advice.

When you think you're alone, when there are no other beings around -mortals, demigods, or gods- and nobody can see sure your choices made in that time are the right ones. Because there's always someone who is waiting for you to screw up. Waiting for something to be your fault so that he can hold that one instance over your head for the rest of your life."

Nico stood and started walking towards the tree line.

"Wait," I called, "who is it? Who would do that to me?"

He stopped and smirked over his shoulder, saying one word before walking into the forest.

"You."

Please review and let me know what you think.

AC out.