Chapter 7:I see some trippy green smoke

The campfire was set up around the amphitheater. A great big bonfire was lit in the middle, and was flaming taller than a person. Heather sat close to the fire, to get away from the cold. Annabeth and Thalia sat next to her.

Thalia was smiling, looking around the fire.

Annabeth however, seemed more fidgety. Every few minutes she looked over to the Big House, as if expecting someone to show up.

"Who are you looking for?" Heather asked, after seeing Annabeth glance at theBig House again.

"My friend Rachel," she said. Annabeth then smiled. "She's here."

From the hill the Big House sat on, a red-headed girl came running down the hill toward the amphitheater. She ran into Annabeth and Thalia with a big hug.

"Hi, Annabeth, Thalia," she said.

"Hey Rachel," the two other girls said.

Rachel turned to see Heather. "Who's this? New camper?"

Annabeth shook her head. "She's a new hunter. She's mortal, and used to be a boy," Thalia said, causing Heather to blush. "Artemis sent her here to adjust."

"Another mortal?" Rachel asked.

Heather nodded. "As far as I know none of my parents were gods or goddesses."

Rachel held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Rachel Dare, Current Oracle of Delphi."

Heather took it. "I'm Heather, Hunter of Artemis, nice to meet you."

She went to let go of Rachel's hand, but it stuck like glue.

All around the campfire, everything grew silent, and seemed almost to go in slow motion.

The smoke from the campfire billowed, swirling around Heather and Rachel. Rachel's eyes became like bright green laserpointers. Her mouth opened and a strange, unearthly voice issued forth.

"Son of the Hunt, Daughter of the Moon,

Over two looms a shadow of doom.

The Arrow of Light, will lead the way,

and wake the Old Gods, a price to pay.

A Hunter's place, to lose or keep,

and face the foes from the deep."

As soon as it was done, Rachel collapsed to the ground. Annabeth, Thalia, and a half dozen other campers rushed to Rachel's aid.

Heather just stood there, her arm still outstretched. "What the Hell just happened"

Rachel got up, sitting on a bench, shooing away the other campers. "Like I was saying earlier," she said, "I'm the current Oracle, which means that I get prophetic visions every once in a while. Now that Gaea's been taken care of, they only happen every few months."

"So, this prophecy," Heather asked, "Is about me?"

Rachel nodded.

"But what does it mean?"

Rachel shrugged, "It's hard to tell until it actually happen."

"It seems like there needs to be a quest," Chiron said, joining the convetsation. "As the proy pertains to you, you get to pick who joins you. 'Over two' implies that this will be a two person quest"

"Quest for what?" Heather asked.

"To complete the prophecy. I can see what you're thinking; if you just stay in camp noting will happen. That is not the case sadly. The prophecy is always fulfiled, and if you didn't go it turn out happening in a worse way. Like it did for Oedipus."

Heather glanced around the campfire's dying embers, the prophetic display taking a lot out of it. As a hunter, it wouldn't be good to spend time with boys, even if some are nice and cute archery instructors.

That left her to pick a girl, and already narrowed it down to the two girls in camp that she trusted most, Annabeth and Thalia. Heather knew who she had to pick.

Artemis must have known she would need a true hunters experience.

"I pick Thalia," Heather said firmly. "But where do we..."

The sky lit up, from the dim bow of Orion a shooting star streaked through the night towards the east.

"The Arrow of Light, will lead the way," Thalia and a few campers said stunned.

"To the East then," Heather said.

"Pack your supplies and get a good night's rest," Chiron said "Argus will drive you to the airport tomorrow morning."