Chapter 10

The Campers' enthusiasm drowns everything out. Their whoops are loud but short lived. Their rejoicing is cut short by The clip clops of a horses' hooves. Chiron.

"Well done Theseus," he says,"However I need to speak with your father."

I look over and see Percy fiddling around with a pen, flipping it through the air. When he hears us talking about him he perks up the pen that was floating through the air seconds ago lands and bounces off his head. The surrounding campers have a good laugh. I laugh at how silly of a guy he is, even as a god he still seems so normal.

"Come with me, both of you." Chiron says. Percy and I follow Chiron through camp and back to the Big House. Campers are in full swing, scrambling about, some are climbing what looks like an extremely deadly rock wall. I'm talking lava spewing dangerous, I'm serious the rock wall was not only ridiculously tall, but it was also volcanic.

We get to the Big House relatively soon. Percy plops down at one of the tables on the porch. I see the hole that I put in the porch's railing from earlier and chuckle to myself. At the table, cards are strewn about like a game was recently being played.

"Theseus, lad, care to take a seat?" Chiron says, as he and Percy look at me. I didn't even notice that I was still standing.

"Oh yeah, cool." I take my seat and wait for whatever is about to go down, happen.

"Troubling times are on the horizon," Chiron begins.

"What kind of 'troubling times' are we talking about?" Percy asks tentatively. I nod in agreement.

"Yeah, what kinda things?" I say.

Chiron pauses. He's transformed into his old-man-in-a-wheelchair form and has his fingertips pressed together, buried deep in thought, "Inter-deity issues." He states,"It's Artemis, actually."

Percy sighs. I'm guessing I'm missing something but whatever, during the last few days I've gotten pretty good at playing 'catch-up'. Chiron continues, "Something of her's has gone missing and we believe that it is in the land beyond the gods."

"Land beyond the gods?" I say. Whatever it is, it sounds dangerous.

"Alaska." Percy replies dryly.

"Oh nice. Alaska, The Dark Land Beyond the Gods...ominous." I chuckle back. Chiron gives the both of us a pointed look and Percy and I get the message.

Percy continues, "Why does this matter to us?"

"Because Artemis thinks you somehow took it, and subsequently hid it. It's actually her bow that has been stolen." Chiron states.

"De ja vu." Percy mumbles.

"That's not the full problem, that's just the tip of the iceberg." Chiron says."Old gods are active, monsters we thought were wiped out are beginning to resurface, like the ones that appeared at your school, Theeseus. I have done my research and I have a strong feeling whatever is happening is being orchestrated by someone, or something, in Alaska."

"Okay, so.. What do I have to do with this?" I ask.

"I'm getting there my boy. I have a confession to make Percy. I had Artemis' bow stolen and planted in Alaska. The gods forbid any of us to go to the land beyond their jurisdiction, it's the one place Heroes can't go without permission. I know for sure that they wouldn't let me send their children there on mere speculation. However, we need to get closer to what's happening, investigate it. We need a quest to Alaska. And now we have the hero we need to accomplish this mission."

"Me." I state. Chiron nods.

"So let me get this straight," I say," You steal an item from a god and plant it in Alaska and blame it on Percy because, what, it'll make the scheme more believable, in order to actually get a warranted quest to the 'Land Beyond the Gods' so you can gather information on some fishy activities being conducted there?"

"Nice exposition." Percy says, furrowing his brow.

"Yes, that about covers it." Chiron says.

"Okay, but I still dont understand why you guys need me for this quest. I never asked for this." I say, desperately trying to get Chiron and Percy to hear me out. My word has literally been split open and flipped upside down, and now this? Talk about too much to handle.

"If the gods believe Percy stole Artemis' bow, you would be the one who should be sent to retrieve it, seeing as you are his son." Chiron explains

"Look, Theeseus, I know this is a lot to take, but you have to be brave. Nothing happens without a reason, something needs to be uncovered in Alaska and you're the one who needs to discover it. I know Chiron wouldn't ask you to do this unless he had utmost faith in you. You have got to be brave, for everyone." Percy smiles at me and his words add a bit to my confidence.

"Okay, so when do I leave?" I ask.

"In seven days," Chiron says," now rest, tomorrow is a big day for you."

"Why?" I inquire.

"Because, we're playing capture the flag...Against Artemis and her Hunters." Percy says with a glint of excitement in her eyes, "And you're gonna be on my team."