They had just reached the big house when Chiron galloped over to them.
"Ahh, you must be Zoe," Chiron said.
He then noticed the unconscious body that Zoe was carrying. "Di immortales," Chiron cursed silently, "What happened to Shelteran?"
"A hydra got through the portal," Zoe answered, "Shelly shot it down with an arrow." Zoe handed over the golden bow which had burnt to an ashy gray after Shelly used its power.
"By the gods!" Chiron shouted, "Apollo's holy bow! But where Shelteran would have gotten it…" Chiron's brow hunched together as if he was in deep thought. After a few minutes, Chiron took Shelly to the Big House with Zoe right behind them.
Chiron slowly laid Shelly on a bed in the medical wing and called several Apollo campers to her aid. Chiron waved Zoe to an office as he started working with the campers to heal Shelly. After maybe one to two hours, Chiron went to go see Zoe.
Chiron introduced himself as Zoe noticed he had the upper body of a man but also the lower body of a horse. Zoe finally realized he was THE Chiron from the Greek myths Auntie Clara told her.
"You're THE Chiron, the legendary centaur-teacher!" Zoe gushed while Chiron blushed having never usually received this much praise from a camper before.
"Even though you are exaggerating, I accept your praise," Chiron said, "But at the topic of hand. If you say a hydra got through the portal, then that either means our defenses are deteriorating or someone summoned it." Chiron's last reason had a eerie tone to it as if was strangely more rational than the other reason.
"Well," Chiron said breaking the silence, "do you know where Shelly got this bow?" He brought the formerly golden, now ashy gray bow onto the desk of the office.
"No, she never mentioned it, only showing it when the hydra came," Zoe replied, "Why?"
"This is her father's personal holy bow. Apollo's holy bow. But all the weapons of the gods were destroyed when Ouranos took over. The only other way is if…" Chiron seemed to reach a breakthrough but they started to hear yelling near the medical wing.
"Where's the bow?" Shelly yelled to her brother as she grabbed on to his collar.
"What bow?" Shelly's brother replied scared.
"You know what bow, Sherman!" Shelly yelled loudly as she shoved Sherman with one hand to the ground. Sherman scampered down the hall pushing through Chiron and Zoe as they stared at Shelly.
"Oh, hi Chiron," Shelly replied meekly only acknowledging now that Chiron was here.
"Do you mean this bow, Shelteran?" Chiron asked holding up the bow. Shelly brightened up but started to look gloomily as she looked at the bow's condition.
"Where did you get the bow, Shelteran?" Chiron asked. Shelly avoided this question by picking up a glass of nectar and started drinking it. Chiron snatched the glass away and set it down on a table.
Again, Chiron asked, "Where did you get the bow?"
Shelly sighed and started to speak. "From…" She didn't get to finish her answer as a camper ran into the medical wing.
"Apollo escaped!" the camper shouted and ran quickly back out the medical wing. As Chiron looked back to Shelly, she smiled meekly as if this answered his question.
"Alas, if Apollo escaped we can really use his help," Chiron said to Athena later that day. They were in a war council meeting with the other gods who had escaped Ouranos' rule and head counselors.
"Well, then," Hecate said, "Why don't we rescue him?"
"No!" Persephone replied, "The traitor Thalia must have already informed Ouranos that we heard of Apollo's escape. If we try to rescue him, we'll fall into one of Ouranos' traps!" The whole council bursted into argument from Persephone's comment.
"Now I ask why we haven't got rid of Thalia in the first place," Aphrodite said, "She's been a burden to us! We should get rid of her!" Most of the council murmured in agreement.
"What would you know, goddess of love," Eris said disdainfully, "You're only useful in giving makeovers! And even now you don't look so pretty!"
Aphrodite, enraged, tried to curse Eris but she ducked and it hit Athena. Athena then summoned a flock of owls to attack Aphrodite. Instead, Aphrodite grabbed Eris in front of her deflecting the owls.
Angry, Eris accidentally unleashed her power of discord over the council. The whole council started arguing and some started fighting like Aphrodite, Athena, and Eris.
Gods fighting against gods. Demigods fighting against demigods. That is until Chiron blew his conch horn. The council quieted down except Aphrodite who was sitting down while several magical makeup brushes, stencils, powders, eyeliners, lipsticks, and creams flied around her face to beautify it.
After several minutes, Eris said to Aphrodite,"Done?"
"Don't judge me," Aphrodite replied as she waved away the magical makeup.
"Well, you all know why we can't get rid of Thalia," Chiron said, "She plays an important part in Zoe's future. If we only..."
Chiron grew silent. He and the council could hear the rustling of bushes outside the ping-pong room where the council was being held. He signaled Sherman, the head counselor for the Apollo cabin, to go check it.
Sherman opened the window and looked down. Sitting right under the window was Zoe and Shelly. Zoe looked frantic but Shelly silently death-glared Sherman and slowly slid her index finger over her neck. Sherman got the signal and quickly said to Chiron it was the wind. But before Chiron could start talking again, a camper ran inside the ping-pong room.
"We've been betrayed! Monsters are breaching the portals right now!" the camper quickly said before fainting on the floor.