AN: Chapter 8 is ready! It was written by Amelia Letter with the beta powers of HolaitsCiara. There will be a discovery in this chapter. So read!
Disclaimed.
Percy POV:
I heard a loud rap on my door and I stood up with my bag slung over my back. I couldn't sleep. So I just spent the whole time packing. I know, surprise, I actually spent my time wisely. Don't judge.
I went to answer the door and opened it to reveal Gwen. She looked nervous. I guess I would be, too, if I led a quest. I looked outside. There was nobody else up. We were leaving early.
"I'm the first one you decide to get?" I asked.
"Well, yeah," she responded.
"Why?"
"Well, it's all very rational. Dakota will probably be admiring herself, Halley will try to–"
"You lost me at rational."
"Right. So, we're meeting at the Continental. Lupa wants to give us a send-off. Says she has a bittersweet feeling about this quest."
"All right. So, you think I spend time wisely?"
"Never."
And with that, she left to go wake up the others.
Thanks for the support, Gwen.
Hazel POV:
I put in my water bottle and zipped up my bag at the same time Gwen knocked on my door. I heaved my grey backpack on my shoulder and went to answer the door. Gwen was standing there, waiting patiently. Gwen was a pretty nice person. She spent more time with more Percy, but I don't know why…
"Hey. Continental?" I greeted.
"Yeah, I've got to go get the others," Gwen said. "Did you get any sleep?" See? She was nice.
"Yeah, some. I'm just a bit…" I paused and looked at her. "Curious…" I said tentatively. Gwen sighed.
"I know you guys want to know what the Oracle said, but I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I mean, it's as clear as day, really. I never knew the Oracle could be so lacking in riddles and double meanings. Which is weird. I just don't get why fourteen…"
She was starting to talk to herself. "It's all right. You'll tell us when we get away from Lupa. A.K.A the advanced parenting system," I said with a nervous laugh. She gave me a small smile.
"You're a good person, Hazel. Watch out for the wrong people, though. They could ruin all that."
I didn't know if she was talking about Percy, or Reyna.
Bobby POV:
I put my knife belt in my camouflage bag and opened the door. Gwen was standing there with her hand up. She nodded swiftly and put her arm down. She sighed. She looked like she lost a lot of sleep. Thinking. Typical Gwen.
"An early good morning to you. We're meeting in the Continental. Lupa's little send-off," she said. I nodded.
"Thanks," I said. I moved past her, then stopped and turned towards her. "Just for curiosity's sake, and only for curiosity's sake, what did the Oracle say?" I asked. She groaned.
"I'll tell you guys when we get away from camp. It's… Weird…" She said.
"All right…" I said.
I started to make my way to the Continental and wondered on the way there why Gwen seemed so uneasy about it. It was just another stupid prophecy. Just another riddle within a riddle. Filled to the brim with double meanings. She should know that.
Unless it's something bigger.
Or something… Smaller?
Reyna POV:
I stuffed my final arrow in my quiver when I heard a knock on the door. I ignored it and moved on to my clothes. I didn't know what to wear or take with me! I had the world's best sleep the night before and I totally spaced on packing. Oh, well. There was another knock on the door. I groaned loudly and stomped over to open it, waking up my younger sibling, Valentine. I opened the door harshly. It was Gwen.
"What?" I snapped.
"Uh, we have a quest, in case you've forgotten. I hope you're not coming in that," she said with her usual horrible attitude. I observed myself in the mirror beside the door. I was wearing my dark purple silk robe. I scowled at her.
"Obviously not. Gods, Gwen. You're supposed to be smart!"
"Well, we have to go now. We're meeting at the Continental for Lupa's little good luck speech."
"All right, just ten minutes."
"No, Reyna. Now."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you're not coming. Simple."
"But the prophecy asked for seven people."
"Then it will come true. Without you."
She was always such a bitch. "Fine. Let me get dressed. See you at the Continental."
And with that, I slammed the door in her face. I didn't even want to put up with her witty remarks.
Halley POV:
After taking out the few clothes that I realized I wouldn't need (but only after great consideration), I zipped up my bag and grabbed my lightweight, extremely fashionable windbreaker and put it on. Right after, there was a knock on the door. I knew it was Gwen before I answered it.
She was very punctual and organized about these things. I opened the door and there she was. Her straight blonde hair was in a ponytail, her waterproof and dustproof backpack rested casually on one shoulder, and she was wearing a pair of grey Bermuda shorts with a black windbreaker.
Good old Gwen.
"We're meeting in the Continental. Don't even bother to ask me about the prophecy, I won't tell you until we get far away from here. Yes, I do have extra drachmas. No, I am not wearing make-up. No, I would not like to put on any. And yes, I am using the headband and hair tie you gave me for my fifteenth birthday," she said before I could even open my mouth.
Yeah, we were close.
We arrived at camp together. We were friends even before camp. We knew each other perfectly. After absorbing all of that information, I smiled at her and nodded.
"All right. Thanks. Do you have to get anybody else?" I responded.
She seemed thoughtful for a second. "Dakota," she finally said.
"Smart choice getting him last."
"Yeah, it was kind of obvious he'd take the longest."
I smiled and walked past her.
Dakota POV:
I looked at myself in the mirror next to my bed. I grabbed my comb, and then set it back down. I picked it back up again. I turned to my bag and double-checked that I had everything. Drachmas, bills, clothes, nectar, ambrosia, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah… Where was my comb? I was missing my comb. Oh, right, it was in my hand. I stuffed it in the backpack and zipped the backpack up again.
I turned back to the mirror and looked at myself. I cocked my head to the side. Then to the other side. I posed with my hands on my hips. I did a hair flip.
"Damn, I'm sexy," I said to myself.
"And extremely self-righteous," a feminine voice said. I jumped about six feet in the air and turned towards the doorway. "And let's not forget conceited, self-centred, and egotistic."
"Gwen! How'd you get in here?" I yelled, waking up some of my siblings and getting a pillow thrown at me.
"Well, considering you left the door open, it wasn't that hard. I just took a step, and poof! I'm in!" She whispered. I rolled my eyes.
"You scared me," I muttered.
"Good. We're meeting in the Continental."
And then she left. Why'd she have to be so confusing?
Gwendolyn POV:
After my extremely odd encounter with Dakota, I practically sprinted. I needed to get far away from that place. Way too awkward. Anyways, I made my way to the Continental. When I walked in, everyone was in their seats from yesterday. I sat down with a tired sigh.
"And you're the one that's late," Reyna shrewdly commented. I rolled my eyes at her. Then, Dakota walked in with his bag on his right shoulder and a comb in his hand.
"It's all good. I'm here. The world won't end. Everybody can rejoice," he said as he took his seat across from me. Lupa rolled her eyes.
"I arranged for you to pick up a van at a rental place nearby. Stay hidden on your way there. It is in the name of the person most capable of driving here," Lupa said. She looked at us.
Everybody looked around, trying to figure out who it was. Halley.
"Halley. I assume you still have that fake driver's license?" Lupa said.
"Of course," Halley responded.
Her dad being a con-artist and all, she had a lot of fake stuff. I bet you the first thing she was going to do once we got that van was find a way to make fake IDs for all of us. All her mortal money was probably fake, too.
"Perfect. I have arranged for your plane tickets to be in a secret compartment in the car. I'm sure you can find it, Gwen?" Lupa said.
"Yes, I'm sure I will," I responded.
"The plane tickets are for a one-plane trip to the capital of Canada, Ottawa. It's my most likely guess. All the information will be on the tickets. Do not get sidetracked. Understand?"
"Yes, Lupa," we all said.
"Adjourned," she said.
Everybody exited the Continental and got assembled outside in front of it. People were double-checking their bags, checking their make-up (Halley), checking to see if they have their pen/sword (Percy), or checking for their comb (Dakota).
"Campers!" I said, getting their attention. They all looked at me. "Let's move!"
Percy POV:
I was so happy once we got out of camp. Even if we had to stay hidden, it was great to be back out here. We were ducking behind cars, bushes, trees, garbage cans, you name it. Finally, we saw it. Chuck's Rental Emporium. Halley signalled us to stay put as she went in to get the van. It would look a bit suspicious if seven heavily-armed teenagers walked in demanding a van.
All of a sudden, I heard the screech of tires on asphalt. I looked up to see a black van come to a halt right in front of our hiding place. The driver's door opened and slammed shut. Halley walked around. I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
"You can come out, in case you needed authorization," she said. She had and English accent. We all got up and walked to the van.
"What's with the English accent?' I asked her.
"Oh, sorry. My fake driver's license says my last name is Thatcherson and that I'm of English nationality," she responded, her American accent returning.
"All right, let me look for those tickets!" Gwen said, opening the shotgun door and rummaging around.
"Hey, Gwen?" I asked.
"Uh-huh?" She responded.
"Mind telling us the prophecy now?" I said. She froze. Slowly, she got out of the car. She took a deep breath. She recited it.
"In mundo "EH"
Invenies septem
Reperio quaesitum in quinta
Nunc quattuordecim visita bocaeli,"
We were all quiet. Halley looked extremely confused. So did Bobby. Reyna crossed her arms and tapped her foot, clearly displeased. Dakota frowned deeply. Hazel rocked back and forth on her feet, staring into space. And me, well…
"English please. Or Greek. Either will do," I said. While I was one of those rare campers that actually knew Greek, I didn't understand a word of Latin. Gwen pushed a stray hair behind her ear and said it in English.
"Up in the world of "eh"
You will find the seven
And find what you seek on the fifth day
And now fourteen will visit the heavens,"
She buried her face in her hands. I frowned. But that was so easy. It didn't make any sense. The Oracle wasn't supposed to be this easy on us. Unless it led to something bigger. Much bigger. Like…
"The Great Prophecy," I said. Gwen looked up at me, revelation dawning on her face.
"Of course. It's so easy, because it will only lead to something bigger!" Gwen exclaimed. Then, her face fell. "Gods, I hate being right."
"We'll be fine. You're a great quest leader, Gwen. But I think you should go back to looking for those tickets," Dakota said. Gwen smiled and took out a thick envelope from behind her back.
"Shotgun!" She yelled, running towards the car. Dakota gaped at her.
"Aw, no! I wanted shotgun!" he exclaimed as he ran after her. I shook my head.
"Show-off," I heard Reyna mutter.
Halley was smirking, looking at Dakota and Gwen fighting over the front seat. Gwen winning of course. Bobby was sharpening one of his knives (but he wasn't really paying attention). Reyna was blabbing about something to Hazel. Probably about how much she hates us all.
Oh, this would be a long quest.
READ AND REVIEW!
-Like the Latin that you learnt (I know how to swear in Latin thanks to Pretty Little Liars :P)?
-You think this will be a long quest?
-Favourite line?
Amelia (with a sprinkle of epicness, aka-Ciara)
