Apparently Chiron had sent me to talk with a shriveled mummy wearing a tie- die sundress, why not?

The mummy sat up with thick green smoke spewing from her mouth. I heard a voice in my head, entering one ear and coiling around my brain.

I am the servant of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker and ask.

I really didn't want to, but I figured that it would look really stupid if I tried to go back down stairs without my prophecy. I gathered my courage.

"What is my destiny?"

The smoke took the form of one of Smelly Gabe's poker games, him and his buddies opened their mouths. A booming voice echoed around my brain.

You shall go west and face the god who has turned

You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned

You shall be joined by the one who does not belong, and be betrayed by the one who calls you a friend

And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end.

The smoke was gone before I could think to ask any questions.

%%%%%

I didn't tell Chiron about the last two lines, I didn't want him to worry.

As Annabeth shimmered into view behind Chiron I couldn't help but feel some relief, at least someone on this quest would have a plan. Then a though occurred to me.

"What does Magnus think about you coming, is he okay with it?"

He had seemed to be protective over Annabeth, I would be surprised if he didn't have any objections to her going on a quest without him.

"He isn't in charge of me" she snapped. But the way she started fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, I could tell something was off.

"He doesn't know, does he?" Annabeth glared and that was the only answer I needed.

This wasn't going to be pretty.

Sure enough, when the three of us left the Big House, Magnus was pacing on the porch. I could still hear the yelling all the way back at my cabin.

%%%%%%

Chiron was waiting for us at the top of Half-Blood Hill. Standing beside him were Magnus and the surfer dude with eyes all over his body, Chiron introduced him as Argus. Then Luke came running up the hill to give me a pair of flying shoes, which was really cool. But the mood was dampened by the tears in Annabeth's eyes as she gave Magnus one last hug. He held her tight and whispered in her ear,

"Come back to me Annie."

Magnus looked at me. "All of you, Come back." Then he gave Grover a fist bump and stepped back.

I looked back several times as we pulled away from the camp and Magnus was always there, standing at the edge of the camp, watching as we got farther and farther away.

%%%%%

We slogged through the woods. Grover was still in hysterics about having to leave his cans back on the bus.

"Perfectly good soda cans" he wailed.

Annabeth fell into line beside me.

"Look, I appreciate you coming back for us it's just… if you die. Besides that really sucking for you. It would mean that the quest is over, and this may be my only chance to see the world."

"You haven't left camp since you were seven?"

"Only for short field trips. It didn't really work out for us, living at home."

"Us?" I was confused, Annabeth didn't have any siblings…. Oh.

"Magnus and I."

I nodded, "Has he gone on a quest before?"

She shook her head. "We haven't been separated in five years." She got kind of quite after that.

%%%%

I couldn't believe it. We had just fought Medusa. I was pretty sure nothing could surprise me anymore. Boy was I wrong.

Grover was telling me about Pan and why he wanted the searchers license when a twig snapped. A loud sound in the otherwise silent woods. The bushes parted, revealing a figure dressed in a familiar shade of orange. It was to dark to make out any details but they looked about my age. They looked to where Annabeth was stirring on the ground. No doubt woken by Grover jumping so badly he fell out of the tree.

"Is she alright?"

At the sound of the stranger's voice Annabeth leapt up and threw herself at him, wrapping him in a hug. I was trying to remember where I'd heard that voice before when Grover spoke, grinning.

"Hey Magnus."

Yayyyy he found them!