Chapter 6: We're offered a familiar quest

POV: Annabeth

The next morning, I got to experience how Percy must have felt the first time it happened. Or rather, I experienced a small part of it. After all, I wasn't twelve anymore, neither was I new to being a demigod, and I had also already experienced far worse. But most of all I wasn't alone in it. It made me regret the behavior of my twelve-year-old self and want to apologize to Percy.

Nobody mentioned the hellhound to either Percy or me, but everyone was talking behind our backs. The attack had scared the others. It sent two messages: one, that he was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill those close to him. They attacked those he was traveling with, even though he was the only demigod among them. And they could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.

Luke had come to talk to me after everything had happened. He had acted all worried about me, even though he had been the one to sick the hellhound on me. I had worn a suit of heavy armor, stuffed inside to insulate against the electricity from Clarisse's spear, and with an expert healer like Chiron around, the risk of me dying would have been rather small. As a child of Athena, I could see the Wisdom in this plan, but he still had put my life at risk for Kronos' plans. It was only more proof to me, that this person no longer was the Luke of the past. So, when he tried to advise me that it might be better for me to stay away from Percy for now, for my own protection, of course, I snapped. I told him to stuff it and stop insulting my intelligence. When I told him that I wouldn't do what my enemy clearly wanted from me, he flinched under my gaze.

I was feeling absolutely livid.

My own cabin wasn't any better. They dared to ask me what I would do, now that I could no longer go on a quest with Percy, the child of Poseidon he was. They had asked me the same question the last time too of course, and I hadn't known the answer to it. I did now.

"And what has that to do with anything?" I ranted. "Even if our parents have a rivalry, neither am I our mother nor is he his father. Percy is my friend. He was the only one other than Chiron to act, while everyone else just watched. He saved my life. Somebody is clearly trying to isolate him from us, if you decided to use that wisdom you all are supposed to possess, you would be able to figure it out yourself too. Go follow Malcolm to your activities, but if you have decided to think again you can find me in the arena."

I started to stalk out of the cabin but stopped in the door again. Without turning around, I added, "And if you think I wasn't aware before yesterday whose child he is, you are sorely mistaken."

After that I found Clarisse. I told her I needed someone to vent my anger and asked her if she wanted to join me and Percy in the arena. The other campers steered clear of us as much as possible, but I didn't really care. So for the next few days, the three of us spent our time training together. Clarisse didn't hold anything back and wasn't afraid of bruising us up in the process, but both Percy and I were glad about it. It helped a lot in regaining full control over our bodies and our fighting abilities again. The two of us dealt as much damage to her as she did to us too. Strangely, our relationship with her slowly felt closer to the one we held during the last battle.

After half a day my siblings showed up again. They even apologized to Percy for them "acting stupid". It was funny to watch. They and the Ares cabin joined us when it was time for their turn, letting us trade partners. You could say about the Ares children what you wanted, but they wouldn't care about something as trivial as a possible monster attack. They were more interested in fighting against strong enemies. But of course, both cabins kept on their usual routine of activities. My siblings understood that I was preparing Percy and me for our quest and let Malcolm take over for me instead.

Having an excuse now at least both Percy and I could avoid Luke. I wasn't sure if that would influence anything, but I just didn't have the energy left to put up with him.

I wasn't sleeping well ever since we returned to this time. Last week we had ended up multiple times sleeping at the lake next to each other, until the day we had visited Hestia's hearth before we went to sleep, helping us sleep peacefully that night. After that, it became part of our routine to visit Hestia before we went to bed. I could tell how happy she was with having people to talk to. She had explained that it was the least she could do for us after we always specifically gave her an offering during dinner too. While she got a part of every offering, nobody had offered anything to her in many years.

Tonight, was different though. I had a nightmare even after visiting her.

I was a young girl around nine years old. I was wearing battered clothes and holey shoes, shivering in the fresh air. In my hands, I was clasping an easter basket. I was wandering through woods, completely lost. It was slowly getting darker.

"I'm not scared!" I called loudly, trying to give myself courage.

After tripping through the forest for a while, I finally saw light ahead. I could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food. I only had it once before, but it was the best thing I had ever eaten. My stomach started growling. I was almost always hungry. But there was something else mixed in with the smell too. Something that wasn't supposed to be in the nice smell of food.

I kept walking until I saw a newly build two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a newly build gas station, as well as a small open business. The building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of empty land. I couldn't read the neon sign above the door, because of my dyslexia.

I was standing in front of the door, wondering if I should knock, when the door suddenly opened. In front of me was a tall foreign-looking woman, wearing a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, her head completely veiled. Her coffee-colored hands looked old but well-manicured and elegant, so I imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady. But something at the back of my head told me she had always been ugly.

Her accent sounded foreign too, but there was something wrong with her voice. It was as if it had another layer to it, sounding like when one of the older kids tried to make me do stuff I know I shouldn't. She said, "Child, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"I'm an orphan. We were gathering Easter eggs," I told her holding my basket up. "But I got lost in the woods and don't know the way back."

The woman seemed nice, so why did I have the feeling that she should be frightening instead? I wanted to do nothing more than cry right now. But I had to be brave, so I fought against it, only letting out a small sniffle.

"Oh, my dear," the woman said. "You must come in, poor child. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

For a moment it was almost as if there were whispers coming from under her gown. Which couldn't be possible, there had to be her hair after all.

I thanked her and went inside. The warehouse was as empty as the area outside. I wondered why it was so empty. Maybe she hadn't gotten anything to sell yet? Just when I asked the question out loud something moved under my T-shirt.

"NO! Danger!" a female voice whispered sounding terrified. "Flee!"

I wondered why she was awake, she normally slept really deep during this time of day. Maybe she had woken from the smell?

"Oh, don't listen to her, my dear," the woman said from behind me, which I found strange, because nobody ever understands what my friend says. "You are right, I don't have anything to sell yet, so why don't you turn around and help me begin my collection?"

"Don't!" my friend tried to warn me from below my T-shirt, but it was already too late.

When I looked up at her face, the only thought I had was that I had been right, she really was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I felt bad for the little snakes being forced to grow out of the head of such an ugly face. Her face was so terrifying I couldn't even describe it. I wanted to run away, but I was frozen in fright. I couldn't look away from the woman even when I could feel my feet turn rigid. My hands which were still clutching my easter basket turned still, even though they had been shaking till now.

Absolute terror and regret of not listening to my instincts and that I had caused my friend's death, were the last things I felt before I completely turned to stone.

I woke up drenched in sweat. For a moment I felt paralyzed, I couldn't move. I still saw Medusa's eyes right in front of me.

The moment passed, I was still in my bed in cabin six. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. It told me that today was the beginning of our quest.

My dream gave me a bad premotion, but I stood up and got dressed, making my way over to Percy's cabin. Grover was standing in the doorway. He turned around when he heard me approaching.

"I'm coming too," I told him.

He just nodded and the three of us started in direction of the big house after Percy came out. He looked as good as I felt.

"Nightmare?" I asked.

He just shrugged his shoulders.

"The usual," he told me. "How about you?"

"I saw Medusa," I stated bluntly.

Grover who had been glancing uneasily at the sky missed a step and started staggering. We caught him before he could fall.

"You ok?" I asked him.

"W-What d-did you mean you saw M-Medusa?" he asked me nervously.

"I dreamt about her," I said. "We probably should be prepared to meet her in our quest."

Grover's face was turning an unhealthy green. I was feeling sorry for him, but after that dream, I thought it was better if he was prepared for every possibility. I knew that he would come with us even if he knew. He was brave that way, he did choose to go to the Underworld and Labyrinth even though he was a satyr after all.

Percy decided to change the subject. "It's going to rain," he said.

"It will," I agreed.

We passed the Apollo cabin and satyr's playing their morning game of volleyball and Castor and Pollux taking care of the strawberries. Everybody looked tense.

We reached the front porch of the Big House. Chiron and Mr. D were playing cards as usual.

"Look who's here," Mr. D said without looking up.

I tensed. I didn't think he would do anything this time around, but with the first meeting taking a different turn I couldn't be too sure how he would act. We waited for what he would say.

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because it's now official, that old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house. I suppressed rolling my eyes. Zeus was such a drama queen.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth. Percy looked up, but unlike me, he didn't control himself, he rolled his eyes at the sky.

"We already had this conversation, so let's skip it," Dionysus went on. "I remember you talking big about how you would not turn out like the others, so here's your chance to prove me wrong. Aren't you a lucky one? I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting, so you're better be gone before I return. Just remember, if you turn out like the rest of them, I'm going to do everyone a favor and turn you into an Atlantic bottlenose and send you back to your father."

Dionysus disappeared, but he hadn't used his true form and risked killing us, he had made sure to go in a way that would not put us in danger. We sat down at the table.

"Tell me, Percy," Chiron said. "What did you make out of the hellhound?"

Percy and I shared a look.

I decided to answer the question. "Somebody was trying to separate Percy from camp, somebody who has one or more demigods working for him. Most likely the person who is responsible for the theft of the lightning bolt."

Chiron looked surprised. "Oh? You know what has been stolen?"

"My father and Zeus are fighting," Percy said. "I could feel it since Winter and had multiple dreams about it, as well. Zeus had tried to kill me. He thinks I stole it."

Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "You're right. Zeus has been suspecting your father right from the start. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly – that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus suspected your father to have convinced a human hero to take it, and now, that your father has claimed you, it is like him admitting it. At least that is what Zeus is most likely thinking."

"He suspects me too," I said.

Everyone was looking at me now.

"It wouldn't have been as easy as strolling in and taking it, you would have to be at least invisible or use another form of magic to hide your presence. I was on Olympus during the solstice and I have been close to Percy ever since he entered Camp. It would not be the first time our parents worked together against Zeus. They did that when they tried to force him to be a better ruler for example."

At that moment I realized that this was the same event as the attempt to reason with Zeus that Themis had spoken of. My mother, Poseidon, and Hera had trapped Zeus and had only wanted to let him go when he promised to be a better ruler. It wasn't quite clear what other gods had helped them in it, only that multiple of them had been punished in the end. Zeus had been afraid to be usurped, was that what his plan had been about? I shook off the thought and focused back on the conversation.

I could see the nervousness in Chiron's eyes. I had hit the nail on the head.

"Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. As for Athena, well let's just say that a lot has happened after this event and Zeus no longer had the need to fear them working together against him. Of course, he never voiced a suspicion of his daughter to have a hand in this theft, she would feel highly offended if he dared, and it might just bring her and Poseidon back to working together. This is not something he would be willing to risk. But now that the two of you seem to work so seamlessly together, he has become even more paranoid than before and most likely already fears the worst. He has demanded Poseidon to return the bolt before the solstice, or there will be war. And this will be a war that will make the Trojan war look like a water-balloon fight."

It started to rain. For a moment everybody sat there in silence.

"So, I have to bring him the stupid bolt to stop him from throwing a temper tantrum."

"Er, Percy…?" Grover said. "We don't use these types of words to describe the Lord of the Sky."

"Inappropriate anger," Chiron suggested. "But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."

Percy looked between Grover and me. Grover was nodding encouragingly, while I just rolled my eyes at his behavior.

"Just go already," I told him.

"All right," he said. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."

"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."

While we were waiting in silence for Percy to come down again, I suddenly found myself in the attic, looking at the mummy in front of me. Percy's point of view, I realized. But why was I here?

Green mist was pouring out of the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. Percy was standing in front of it unmoving. I heard a voice speak inside my head:

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

Percy took a deep breath and I approved of the question he asked, "How can we stop this war and help our family?"

The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of us on the table forming into a long serpent, slithering between the pickled monster-part jars, while speaking in the rasping voice of the Oracle:

You shall set out, though the gods' whims are unjust,

You shall seek those in need, turn their prisons to dust,

You shall go west, and trick the God who has turned,

You shall claim what was stolen, and see it safely returned,

You shall expose the one who masquerades as a friend,

You shall prepare to defend what matters most, take command,

You shall find out of divine unjust, of old grudges inflamed,

You shall clear the names of those wrongly blamed.

The snake dropped from the table, slithering over the floor up the mummy and disappearing into her mouth. She reclined back against the wall.

I thought that was it, but Percy suddenly stepped forward.

"O great Oracle, I am here to take a peek at the Great Prophecy... Or something?"

He stepped forward but then halted. I could understand why. There was a leather pouch that had held the parchment the Great Prophecy had been written on. At least there was supposed to.

The Great Prophecy was gone.

I blinked and was back, sitting at the porch. My mind was running. The prophecy was similar enough to last time, but it had more lines and had important changes in the choice of words. Percy came out again.

"Well?" Chiron asked.

Percy slumped down into his chair at the pinochle table and repeated the prophecy.

Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!"

Chiron looked deep in thought for a moment, going through the lines of the prophecy, and then nodded his head, as if he felt affirmed in his opinion.

"I do not quite know about what prisons the prophecy was speaking of and I advise you not to dwell on guessing what friend it was talking about. Prophecies have often double meanings and the truth is not always clear until events come to pass," he explained. "But it does sound like you will find the bolt and clear the names of your parents. And to do that, you have to go west and trick the god who was truly responsible. And who do you think would gain from such a war?"

We knew what he was trying to tell us, but it would be bad if we didn't warn him of another possibility. A possibility we already knew was the real culprit.

"You are talking about Hades," I said. "But what if you're wrong, what if he is one of those wrongly blamed? What if there is somebody else pulling the strings, pushing the blame on Hades?"

I made eye contact with Percy. He understood what I wanted him to say. I saw a scrap of aluminum drip out of Grover's mouth. He looked terrified about learning we were talking about Hades.

"In my dream, there was another voice, one coming from underground. It was cold and felt evil and…" he hesitated. "It didn't feel like the other two, didn't feel like a god."

"Somebody stole something from the gods," I added. "What if the master bolt was not the only thing?"

I could see the moment Chiron understood what we were trying to tell him. Shock, fear, and terror were visible in his face before he schooled it again. Grover was looking even worse; he had started trembling and eating pinochle cards like potato chips.

"Then let's all hope you have been mistaken, and the thief truly is the Lord of the Dead." He said with a grave look. "Because the other possibility would have consequences far worse than we could even imagine."