After being assured I was okay, my mom and Paul both started truly taking in being past the camp borders. Paul looked like he wanted to jump up and explore the entire camp grounds but refrained and settled on gazing at Seymour who was mewling at us for more food. My mom looked excited too, she was finally getting a glimpse of my other home. She would love seeing the Poseidon cabin or the climbing wall with the lava pit that she always reminded me to stay off of, not that I needed much of a warning.

"I assure you Mr. Blofis and Mrs. Jackson, this will not happen again. We have strict rules against maiming other campers, those responsible are being punished. Mr. D and I take this matter very seriously." Chiron assured my parents. I could tell from the few times I'd seen him angry that he was seething inside. I had a feeling they were going to get more than their dessert privileges taken away for a week.

"Did you find out where Sherman got Celestial gold? Isn't it supposed to be really rare?" I asked.

Chiron shifted in his wheelchair and looked at Dionysus, they must've already talked about it.

"The boy found it during a mini quest given to him by Hera," Dionysus answered.

Hera put him up to it! There was nothing like having two powerful gods after my head. "That bitch," I accidentally muttered aloud. Thankfully I said it quiet enough that my parents couldn't hear but I saw the corner of Dionysus mouth twitch.

"Sounds like somebody gave it to him," Paul reasoned. "If celestial gold is that rare, I highly doubt he picked it off the ground. Meaning someone is after Percy."

My mom looked wide eyed between me, Chiron and Dionysus. The three of us were blank faced as Paul hit the nail on the head.

"Uh, I'm sure it was found on accident. I've ran into lots of rare stuff on my quests – like that one time I found the Golden Fleece." Or that other time I found Zeus's Master Bolt in my backpack.

"Don't worry about your son," Chiron assured, "It is our job to look after the campers while they are in camp. And if there is truly a threat against him we will be able to keep him safe.."

My mom wrapped her arm around my shoulder and squeezed me tight. "I'm his mother and I can't help but worry. At least this explains why he has been so hesitant coming to camp this summer. I just wish you would have been more honest with me Percy. I'm sure Mr. D and Chiron could have helped you had you told someone."

I avoided looking at Dionysus, "Yeah, I'm sorry. I should've told you what was going on."

My parents thinking I was being harassed by fellow campers was better than them knowing the guy who drove me away was sitting right in front of them.

"Percy has always had a knack for finding trouble." Chiron gave the understatement of the millennium. "But he is strong and I know whatever he has kept from you was only done so in the hopes of protecting you." He was implying something more, he obviously thought I should tell my parents about the bonding which was not gonna happen.

Dionysus yawned and leaned forward in his chair, "Well that's enough sentimental talk. Chiron where are your hosting manners – you should have offered these kind folks some refreshments. Will wine do?" He snapped his fingers and four glasses of wine appeared on the coffee table, a glass in front of everyone except me.

"Don't you have restrictions?" I said to the god.

Dionysus shot me a look of why did I have to remind him before looking longingly at the dark purple liquid. He sighed and waved his hand – his drink turning the color of Diet Coke.

My parent's mouths were wide as they witnessed their sudden beverages. I suppose Dionysus had forgotten mentioning the little fact of him being the wine god.

"Wow!" Paul exclaimed. Grabbing his glass and taking a big gulp, "This is really good, I've never had wine that tastes so good."

My mom smiled as she looked at Paul quickly downing his glass. "I'll hold off, someone needs to drive back home. And I should've known from when Percy told me about camp, but you're Dionysus, correct?" She asked.

"Yes that's me, the god of wine, parties, and other fun activities. Though not so much these days."

"He's being punished by his father for chasing after an off limits nymph," I explained for him.

"With all the bottles I can no longer drink due to my restriction, I need someone to give this to – the amount of bottles I have piling up is ridiculous. I normally drank 6 bottles a day and multiply that by 50 years – that is 109,502 bottles I will miss out on." He gazed sadly towards the wall that led to his room where he kept some of his stash.

"You actually took time to do the math?"

He rolled his eyes, "There's not much to do at this wretched - I mean wonderful camp." He scowled at his soda and growled, "The prohibition was only 28,489 bottles."

"Maybe you could invent another drink," I suggested.

That obviously wasn't the correct thing to say to the inventor of wine, "There is no better drink."

"I think blue Cherry Coke is pretty close."

Dionysus looked ready to zap me in my seat. "Blue Cherry Coke is just Cherry Coke dyed blue. You're insinuating Cherry Coke is better which is a laughably ludicrous."

"No, I'm saying blue Cherry Coke is better – and maybe not better, just very close to beating it."

"Even that's absurd," he grumbled, "Wine is the oldest and most distinguished beverage on earth."

"Isn't water technically the oldest beverage," I challenged, "And considering everyone has to drink it I'd say that wins."

"Water doesn't count."

"Why not? It's something you drink isn't it?"

Dionysus was about to respond but Chiron interrupted, "Ahem. Maybe we should change the subject." I looked at my parents who were giving me a strange look – a why-are-you-challenging-a-god-Percy-when-he-can-destroy-you-in-a-heartbeat kind of look.

"Well thank you for the glass Mr. D. You're the second god I've ever met and I must say, it's an honor," Paul smiled. His cheeks were already red after drinking his drink and my mom's untouched glass.

Dionysus must've been pleased at the praise because he refilled Paul's glass.

Paul was quite the amateur wine connoisseur and the two erupted into a conversation about good years for wines and the best regions and other boring stuff a guy who was too young to have any (legally anyways) could care about. Besides, I did think blue Cherry Coke was much better.

"Could I go upstairs and visit Rachel real quick?" I asked, interrupting the conversation.

"I don't see why not," Chiron stated looking at Dionysus for confirmation.

The god waved his hand and I dashed up to Rachel's room. I knocked on the door and after hearing some thumps and a clash of something falling to the floor, she stood in front of me wearing light blue pajamas covered in different colors of paint. Her hair was crazy as if she'd just been sleeping.

"Hi Rachel. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

She didn't seem to mind and smiled. "I heard you were back – sorry I didn't see you earlier. I was overcome by a vision and couldn't stop painting." She looked like she'd just remembered something, "In fact, I think you better come in." She pulled me into her cluttered room, even more canvases had been surmounted in the time that I'd last been inside.

"What's up?"

She had a pained expression and she sighed heavily. "Nothing good," she muttered before holding up a large canvas.

I gasped. There was me banging on a door to a small room that was missing a ceiling, and above was a giant me looking down sinisterly at my frightened figure from above. A chill ran through my spine as I realized that the room was the same white walled room from my dreams.

"You painted this today?" I asked.

"No, I painted this today," she set the large painting down and turned an easel towards me.

This one wasn't any better, it showed a dark haired figure sprawled on the snow – gold paint was smeared around their body.

"Maybe it's showing me sleeping in a pile of gold," I said optimistically. "Are you sure that has something to do with me?"

The first one was definitely something I'd seen before – but maybe the second painting was for someone else. Or better yet, maybe Rachel just had a really crazy idea that she mistakenly thought had been a vision.

"I think so, I've pretty much been drawing a comic book of your life." She went to another canvas and showed me a painting of me being held by Mr. D as I was crouched on the ground with a spear in my stomach. She found another canvas showing a painting of me at the ceremony in Dionysus's temple, depicting when the two of us kissed for the first time. I was as bright as a Red Delicious apple, I seriously hoped she hadn't painted anything explicit.

"It's so annoying, everything I've been painting has had to do with you! Not that you're a bad subject matter," she added quickly, "It's just, you're in for a lot of pain Percy. And I feel so helpless because when I asked Dionysus if I could show you he said no and that fate can't be avoided. And he'll probably be angry at me for showing you these but I had to! There has to be something you can do to stop them, I know everyone says a vision is as good as fact but maybe even a warning will help you."

She looked overwhelmed at sat down on the only clear spot on her bed, "I feel so pointless. Like what's the point in being the Oracle if I can't do anything about the visions?"

I cleared a spot next to her and sat down. The weight of the world felt like it was on my shoulders – I would never wish away normalcy again. "I don't completely understand what you have shown me, but at least I have an idea of what I'm up against."

There was a knock on the door. "Percy, we're leaving now," my mom said through the door.

"Alright!" I replied. I turned to Rachel who looked up at me with a determined expression.

"I'll try not to keep you in the dark again, if I draw something that you need to see I'll call you. You better not die Percy Jackson."

"I haven't yet," I replied. She gave me a hug and I left to meet my mom.

Chiron gave me a new vial of nectar to take for later when I needed it and wished me luck. As I was walking out the door behind my parents I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to Dionysus. His face was unreadable.

"Don't be afraid of the future, there is nothing you can do to change it," he warned.

I hesitated "I'm not afraid. Besides, I've been fooled by visions before. They're not always what they seem."

"Regardless, there is nothing to worry about. I've publically stated my claim and every monster by now should know anyone who dares to attack what is mine will either end up dead or wishing they were dead while they claw their own heart from their bodies."

His words were oddly touching in a possessive way. "So you're basically saying, 'I've got your back.'"

He raised an eyebrow, "There are too many silly new phrases to keep up with – and they just get more ridiculous with each decade. By the way," a smile tugged at his lips, "expect a package from me on the 18th."

That's my birthday. I looked at him suspiciously, "What is it?"

"You'll see." He shut the door in my face.

"You and Mr. D seem close," my mother said as she drove us back home. Paul was snoring softly in the passenger's seat while I took the back.

"What!? Me and Dionysus? No way." I scoffed. "Every time we talk I just want to punch him in his smug bratty face. And I if it wasn't for the paperwork he'd have to fill out and dad and Chiron complaining, I'm sure he'd make me spontaneously combust. Plus, he can't even dress himself without looking like a 40-year old woman. I think every piece of clothing he owns has some form of animal print." I saw her holding back a laugh in the rear view mirror. "What's so funny?"

She laughed and her blue eyes twinkled, "I'm sorry, it's just you two bicker like old friends. I'm sure with time you two will be like old pals. Didn't you say you wanted to work at Camp Half-Blood when you got older, maybe being close to the Camp's director will help?"

Oh yeah, I had thought of that. But that was before when I would still be with Annabeth and we eventually would grow old and retire somewhere together with 2 or 10 kids. Now, I didn't know what I'd do.

Thanks for reading!