Camp protector poisoning.
Andy had thought of many things she wanted to do for the summer that was just around the corner.
Among those many things was; go to Camp Half-Blood a second time and learn how to properly climb the damn climbing wall. Become more proficient in swordsmanship. Fight Clarisse bare-knuckle and defeat her (although she found that challenge a bit difficult if she was honest with herself) Prove to Thalia that Coldplay is better than Green Day... Anyway, she was really looking forward to going to camp this year.
But the first thing was to fulfill the promise that she made to her mother about finishing a school year without being expelled, without accidents and without fighting in class. Have a clean school year with the hope of coming back next year.
Considering who Andy was, she probably shouldn't have been surprised to fail miserably on her first promise.
Not only had she been attacked by giant cannibals during PE time on her last day of school, but she had also been caught up in a fire that consumed the entire school gym. It also didn't help that she was blamed for it.
As if that wasn't enough, Annabeth had shown up to save her butt from the cannibals and escape the police and fire department in a cab that looked like it was made of smoke, driven by three crazy old sisters who shared one eye and one tooth.
Andy definitely didn't have all that planned for her summer. And it was just beginning!
It was while she was traveling in that same taxi, sitting in the back seat of it, that Andy was with her hands covering her face and trying in every possible way not to start screaming in frustration.
She was so close! Just one more day and it would be the first time she finished the school year in a normal way! She was so frustrating that she found herself pulling at the dark strands of her hair.
"Easy, Andy, don't worry," Annabeth comforted her, running a hand down her back. "Everything will be fine. I assure you."
"How can I be okay when I'm being blamed for a fire at my school and the camp is in danger?!" she questioned.
Annabeth had told her about the strange dreams she had been having lately. About the camp, being attacked by a horde of monsters, and the huts being consumed by the fire that was spit from the mouths of bronze bulls.
"The fire can be hidden by a bit of fog," Annabeth calmed, but then her expression turned grim. "But the camp..."
Andy looked at her friend. She knew that the camp was like a home for Annabeth, she had lived in it for years. If for Andy, who had spent only one summer there, they were so special... she didn't want to imagine what it meant to Annabeth, who had lived there for the last six years.
Trying to calm her friend down, she gently took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Along with a smile that tried to convey tranquility.
"You don't have to worry, Annabeth. The camp is protected by the barrier, and they have annual campers like Luke protecting it. Everything will be fine."
Annabeth couldn't help but smile and gently return the squeeze of her hand.
"Thanks, Andy," she said, feeling brighter. "You're right."
"Awww! It's so touching!" one of the old women sitting in the front seat shrieked. "The other daughter of the Big Three wasn't as sweet as you."
Andy and Annabeth jumped when they saw that one of the three sisters was looking directly at them with a single bloodshot green eye in her right socket, while her left had a closed, sunken lid.
"What do you mean by other daughter of the Big Three?" Annabeth asked.
"Oh! You know her," the old woman who was sitting behind the wheel said again. "The daughter of Zeus. The Lightning Princess. Black hair with streaks dyed blue to match the color of her eyes."
"Thalia?" Andy asked. "She traveled with you?"
"Yes! She did it a few days ago. We took her to the same camp that you are going to. She gave us each a drachma, so we don't talk the whole trip. She was a very beautiful girl, but nothing compared to you, cutie."
"Wasp!" cried one of the sisters. "Let the girls have their time! If you're not going to drive, give me the eye!"
"No way, Ira!" Wasp, who was driving, protested. "It's my turn to drive! So I need the eye!"
"That's a bloody lie, and you know it!" yelled Tempest, the third sister.
"And what are you complaining about?!" Ira screamed. "You already have the tooth!"
"But I want the eye! It's my turn!"
"Lies!" Wasp yelled as she swerved the taxi and stomped on the accelerator.
"Give it to me!"
Andy felt her stomach turn. She was glad she hadn't eaten anything earlier because no doubt he would be throwing up all over the place right now.
Seeing how green her face turned, Annabeth rubbed her back gently in an attempt to comfort her, but the lurching of the taxi only caused Andy to turn even greener. That, along with the three-way fair slap fight between the Gray Sisters, did nothing to make the trip more pleasant.
"Oh, my stomach... I'm going to die..." Andy moaned, clutching her stomach. With her other hand, she grabbed her friend's shirt as a sign of desperation. "Annabeth... when I die... send my body to my mother... Except my middle finger, send that one to the gods. Especially that idiot Ares."
Andy had to cover her mouth as she gagged deeply as the taxi lurched violently.
"Stop being so melodramatic," though Annabeth seemed torn between amusement at her comment and concern at the situation they found themselves in. "The Gray Sisters know what they're doing. They're actually very wise."
"Yes, very wise!" Ira exclaimed, with a big smile, taking the opportunity to show off the tooth she had just appropriated. "We know a lot of things!"
"All the streets of New York!" Wasp boasted, continuing to slap Tempest. "Coca-Cola's secret formula!"
"The secrets of the Vatican!" Ira said.
"What's in Area 51!"
"The place where the Fire of Olympus burns!" Tempest added. "The position you're looking for!"
At that, the two sisters shrieked in anger and began to slap her on each cheek, while yelling at her.
"Shut your mouth, you old hag! She didn't even ask!"
"Yes! Besides, it's too early for them to know!"
"What?" Andy managed to say. "The Fire of Olympus? What position? I'm not looking for..."
"Nothing!" Tempest interrupted hastily. "You're right, girl. It's nothing!"
"Tell me," Andy insisted.
"No!" the three yelled.
"Last time we said it, it was terrible!" Wasp said.
"The eye thrown into a lake!" Ira agreed.
"Years to get it back!" Tempest moaned. "And speaking of which, give it back to me! It's my turn to use the eye!"
"No!" Wasp shrieked.
"The eye!" growled Tempest. "Give it to me!"
She slapped Wasp so hard that she literally ripped the eye out of her face with a repulsive 'Plop!' sound. Tempest reached for it blindly, trying to catch it, but all she managed to do was hit it with the back of her hand. The slimy green balloon went flying over her shoulder and landed directly in Andy's lap.
She jumped so brutally that she hit her head on the ceiling and her eyeball rolled out.
"I don't see anything!" exclaimed the three sisters.
"Give me the eye!" Wasp howled.
"Give her the eye!" Annabeth yelled.
"I don't have it!" Andy said.
"There, right next to your foot," Annabeth said. "Don't step on it! Pick it up!"
"I'm not going to pick it up! It's disgusting!"
The taxi got out of control and started skidding down the road, like in the Fast and Furious movie. Wasp grabbed the wheel and swerved, stabilizing the car somehow, but causing the cab to shoot straight toward Brooklyn at breakneck speed.
"Oh gods!" Andy moaned, covering her mouth.
"Andy, pick up the eye!" Annabeth hurried.
Andy rifled through her pockets. She pulled out a small packet of nose tissues (thanks for your concern, Mom. I love you) and used it to pick up the eye. She almost threw up when she felt how slimy it was.
"Good girl!" exclaimed Wasp happily. "Now, give it back to me!"
"I won't until you tell me what they meant," Andy said. "What's this Fire of Olympus? And what's the position I'm looking for?"
"There's no time!" Tempest yelled. "We're almost there!"
Andy looked out the window. The old woman was right. They were ripping through trees, cars and entire neighborhoods as they made their way into Long Island.
"Andy," Annabeth warned. "Without the eye, they won't be able to find the camp. We'll keep accelerating until we blow up."
"Oh, no. That's all," Andy said, refusing to budge. "You'll tell me what I want to know first, or I'll open the window and shoot the eye out. Surely a crow will thank me for having something for its breakfast."
"No!" pleaded the three sisters. "Please don't do it!"
"I'm rolling down the window..." Andy said, her voice mischievous.
"Okay! Okay! We'll tell you!"
In a somewhat creepy action, the three sisters turned at the same time to look directly at her, as if they knew exactly where she was, without needing to have an eye to see her.
"It is not your destiny to find the Fire of Olympus. You will burn to ashes if you touch it," the sisters said in unison in a somber voice. "A son of Poseidon is destined to find it, but it is not you."
"But I'm the only daughter of Poseidon," Andy said, confused.
"Even so, it's not your destiny," they said again in unison, and the three pointed their bony gray fingers at her. "Your destiny is... Thirty, thirty-one, seventy-five, twelve. That's your destiny, Poseidon's daughter."
"What?" Andy asked, sitting up even more confused and a little anxious. "What do you mean by that?"
"Thirty, thirty-one, seventy-five, twelve!" shrieked Ira. "We can't tell you more. And now give us our eye back! We're almost to camp!"
Through the window, Andy could see that they had left the highway and were speeding through the fields of Long Island. In the distance, she could see Half-Blood Hill, with its gigantic pine tree at the top: Percy's Tree, containing the life energy of her once-brother she never got to know.
"Andy! Give them the eye right now!" Annabeth rushed.
She decided not to argue. She dropped the eye into Wasp's lap.
The old lady quickly grabbed it, placed it in her eye socket like someone putting on a contact lens, and blinked.
"Perfect!" she exclaimed, happy to have her eye back.
She slammed on the brakes. The taxi skidded four or five times in a cloud of dust and screeched to a stop in the middle of the dirt road at the foot of Half-Blood Hill.
Andy let out a contented sigh.
"Much better." Though she still felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach. She narrowed her eyes at the Gray Sisters. "Now, what do those numbers mean?"
"There's no time!" Annabeth opened the door. "We have to down right now."
Andy was going to ask why, but when she looked up at Half-Blood Hill, she understood. And she didn't like what she saw at all.
At the top of the hill was a group of campers. And they were attacking them.
Andy couldn't believe her eyes. In her short time as a discovered demigoddess, she had already had the monster part of her, but it was the first time she had seen three bulls made entirely of bronze the size of elephants. And if that wasn't enough, they breathed fire from the mouth!
"Oh, gods," Annabeth murmured as she watched the battle at the top of the hill.
What concerned her most was the fact that the bronze bulls were running freely down the hill, trespassing the magical boundaries provided by Percy's Tree.
"Watch out for the fire breath!" A girl's voice was heard.
Andy immediately recognized her as Clarisse.
As Clarisse blurted out that warning, one of the bulls opened its metal jaws and blasted fire through her, like a flamethrower. The campers managed to get out of the way just in time, but that didn't stop their clothes from being singed by the flames. One of the campers caught fire from the plume on his helmet and started running in circles.
"Why doesn't he just take off his helmet?" Andy said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Come on, Andy!" Annabeth urged. "We have to help!"
"To the idiot who's running around in circles?"
"No! Clarisse!"
"Oh, yeah. Okay."
Both of them quickly shot up. Annabeth had unsheathed her bronze knife, while Andy had released her ring-shaped sword.
Andy watched as one of the bulls charged a group of campers with such force that they had taken up a phalanx position. It was like watching a bowling game. Only instead of the bowling ball there was the bronze bull, and instead of the pine trees there were demigods. The bull charged with such force that it sent half a dozen demigods flying into the air as if they weighed nothing.
"What the hell are those things?!" Andy asked.
"These are the Colchis bulls, the handiwork of Hephaestus himself," Annabeth explained, rushing to her side. "The fire they expel from are hot enough to melt steel beams."
"Then how are we supposed to kill them?!"
"Avoid their jaws. And don't let them gain momentum to charge at you."
She ran up to one of the bulls and caught its attention by waving her arms. The bull turned towards her with the intention of running her over, but Annabeth put on her cap, becoming invisible, leaving the monster completely confused.
Before it went back to look for a new victim, the bull shuddered and fell on one of its hind legs. It turned around and saw a sword passing through its leg and shattering its knee joint.
"Now you won't be able to run anymore, will you, Ferdinand?" Andy said, with a cheeky smile.
The bull's ruby eyes, which were the size of a fist, gleamed with fury. It opened its jaws and Andy watched as the flames began to light up its metallic snout.
"But you can do that... Hehe. Oops."
"Andy, move!"
An invisible force pulled her away just in time to avoid being charred by the flames of the bull Ferdinand. Andy landed on the grass and her savior landed on top of her, revealing it to be Annabeth in her invisibility state if the weight she felt on her was any indication.
"Are you crazy?!" Annabeth chided, taking off her cap and becoming visible.
"Well, that's debatable. We are Greeks, after all," Andy answered as she stood up.
"You can't attack the Colchis bull if you don't have fire protection. It will turn you to ashes!"
"Yeah, but now it can't move! That's a point for Andy Jackson!"
She aimed for her sword which was still on one of its bull's hind legs and sure enough, it couldn't move properly. It couldn't even begin to gather momentum to run. But that didn't stop it from opening its jaws and breathing fire through them, burning the grass and trees around.
"You two, move!" reprimanded a new voice. "Go argue somewhere else!"
Both of them turned around and saw another person walking forward quickly. He was wearing somewhat charred Greek armor, holding a shield that covered his entire torso with his right hand and wielding a sword that seemed to be made of two different metals with two wings on the hilt.
Andy and Annabeth recognized the sandy blonde hair and the scar that ran down the left side of his face.
"Luke!"
"Watch out!" he yelled.
They both turned to see the bull opening its jaws. Luke stepped forward quickly and placed his shield in front of them. Flames collided with his shield, but Luke didn't let go. Instead, he moved toward the flames, and when the flames stopped, Luke was facing the shocked face of the Colchis bull.
The monster couldn't react in time as Luke brought his sword up in an upward stabbing motion. Backbiter's blade tore through its jaw and emerged between its horns.
The bull's ruby eyes dimmed and darkened before falling heavily to the grass.
Luke yanked his sword out of the bull's head and kicked at his bulky body.
"Damn bastard," he growled, annoyed.
"Luke... how are you alive after taking that fire head on?" Andy asked, "Annabeth told me that it is capable of melting steel beams."
"That's because I coated the shield with Medea's FPS 5000 Solar Filter," Luke replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Ah... I see. I get it."
Andy didn't understand a single word.
"I thought that filter was only for body use," Annabeth commented. "I didn't know it could be used on objects."
"Yeah, well. It's more useful to use it as a shield to defend against fire and then attack."
"That's... really clever," Annabeth agreed. "Luke, what's going on?"
"Can't you tell just by looking at it? We were attacked by these stupid bulls."
"We still have to deal with the other two," Andy said.
"Clarisse's got you covered," Luke said, pointing down the hill.
Sure enough, Clarisse had taken care of the second bull. She had pierced its neck with a spear made entirely of Celestial bronze, a gift from her father for successfully completing her mission to kill the Hydra of Lerna and bringing back its twelve-headed as proof of such a feat. From the way the bull jerked as sparks of electricity shot from it wound, the tip of the spear was electrified.
The bull staggered for a second before landing heavily on the grass.
"And the third?" Andy inquired, going to withdraw her sword that was still on the hind leg of the bull she had dubbed Ferdinand.
"There!" Annabeth pointed out.
Coming up the side of the hill, the last elephant-sized bronze bull charged toward them with the speed of a freight train.
Before they could react, a trail of blue-white light appeared above the bull's head. Andy and Annabeth watched in shock as Thalia brought her spear down hard on the Colchian bull's head and pierced it all the way through right between the bronze neck plates, as if they were made of paper.
The monster immediately stopped charging and fell heavily onto the grass, skidding across the ground, leaving a path in the dirt.
Thalia landed with the elegance and ferocity of a lion. She grabbed her spear and yanked it out of the bronze bull's neck. Andy saw that she had a new spear, as the old one had been smashed by Ares last summer.
Her new spear was made entirely of bronze with a leather handle. The point was longer than a normal spear, and its edges were sharp enough to slice through meat with ease. It looked more like the blade of a short sword than the point of a conventional spear like the one Clarisse had. Thalia's new spear looked really dangerous. Andy wondered where she got that weapon. There was no similar spear in the camp.
When Thalia looked in their direction, Andy gasped slightly in fright.
Thalia looked... terrifying. Her clothing, except for her black leather jacket, was full of cuts and scrapes. Her electric blue eyes looked fierce and more intimidating than usual.
"I see they took care of one. Good," Thalia said, giving the huge body of the bronze bull that lay a few feet away from them a brief glance.
"And you, too," Luke said. "You've done well, Thalia. But don't you think you should take a break? You haven't rested in policing the borders since you arrived."
"I sleep from time to time," Thalia snapped, rather roughly. "If I'm not guarding the border, you fools, wouldn't be able to take on a single unusual monster."
When she said that, she cast a nasty look at the campers who had tried to stop the bronze bull. They looked away in shame.
"Don't be hard on them. They did what they could," Luke chided, defending them. Then he turned to look at the campers. "Take the wounded to the Big House and report to Chiron what happened."
The campers nodded. Andy saw them very enthusiastic to walk away. Perhaps so as not to fall victim to Thalia's stares. She had a bit of experience with it. It was not pleasant at all.
"How did this happen?" Andy asked, confused. "Where are Argos and Ms. O'Leary? He's the head of security. And Ms. O'Leary wouldn't let any monsters near Percy's Tree."
At the mention of the tree, Luke's and Thalia's faces darkened.
"Argos was fired," Luke said ruefully, "And Ms. O'Leary is in sick bay. She was seriously injured."
"Injured?" Annabeth asked, concerned. "By whom?!"
"By the same person who did that," Thalia growled, pointing at Percy's Tree.
Andy and Annabeth gazed at the 115-foot-tall pine tree towering over the top of Half-Blood Hill. They always remembered it as a tree full of life and vigor. Just being near it made them feel warm and protected. And a lion-sized hellhound could always be seen lounging at the foot of the tree like a faithful guardian.
But there was nothing like that when they looked.
The lush, green leaves had turned yellow, with many of them scattered at the base of the tree. In the center of the trunk, to 3 feet high, was a mark the size of a bullet hole from which green sap oozed.
Andy felt as if a dagger of ice went through her chest. She now understood why the camp was in danger. The magical borders had begun to fail due to Percy's Tree dying.
It had been poisoned.
Annabeth quickly walked over to the tree and looked at the hole in the trunk. She reached out a trembling hand with the intention of touching her, but then she quickly pulled it back.
"Do you know... who did it?" Her voice was no more than a whisper.
"We don't know for sure," Luke said, placing a comforting hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "But the nymphs mentioned a dark-haired boy with a sword sheathed at his waist."
The face of a boy she met last summer flashed in Andy's mind.
"Will not be...?"
"It's likely," Thalia interrupted. "He's the prime suspect."
Thalia went and sat at the foot of the tree and leaned her back against the trunk, her new spear resting against her torso. It was only then that Andy realized how tired she looked. She had slight bags under her eyes, and her skin had taken on a slightly pale hue. Her hair, like her eyes, had lost a certain characteristic shine.
"Thalia... You don't need to stay here all the time. Go take a break. You can go sleep for a couple of hours in your cabin, and then eat something with us."
Luke's voice was imploring. He seemed genuinely worried about his friend.
Thalia noticed that. She looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes.
"No. I'll stay," she said stubbornly. "Someone has to watch the border on this side. It's the most susceptible to attack."
"Someone else can take the position."
"I correct myself; Someone competent has to keep watch on this side. Go away."
"Thalia..."
"I said go away!"
Apparently, Luke didn't want to tempt his fate any further. With his resigned sigh and nod, he pushed Annabeth and Andy towards the camp, leaving his friend behind to watch Percy's Tree.
As they headed down the hill toward camp, Andy heard Thalia murmur.
"Don't worry, Perry. I will never leave you again..."
From the way Luke frowned and pursed his lips, he heard it too.
As Andy, Luke, and Annabeth walked toward the Big House, Andy became aware of the mood that permeated the entire camp. It was... different, in a way.
Everything was still in its place. The Big House, the strawberry fields, the amphitheater, the arena, the dining pavilion, and the twelve cabins where the campers slept. But there was a tension in the air that was almost palpable.
As they walked, Andy recognized many campers she'd met last summer, but no one stopped to say hello or try to talk to her. The only recognition she got was from a god she didn't want to interact with.
"So the old fish face brat has decided to make an appearance," Ares said, with a mocking tone.
The only response he got from Andy was an annoyed growl.
The god of war was near the Big House. He was wearing military camouflage pants with boots and a green t-shirt that clung to his body. He looked like a military trainer as he watched with folded arms as the campers stood in organized lines in the place where the volleyball court used to be, practicing repeated movements of slashes and sword thrusts.
"Who told you to slow down, maggots?!" Ares bellowed at him. "Fifty more thrusts! Then go and circle the camp completely across the borders! What's your answer?" brats?!"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" shouted all the campers.
Andy was stunned at what she saw. Ares was doing his duty by training the campers. And from what she could see, the campers obediently accepted it. The image was... strange.
"Ares has only been here about a year, and he's done more for the campers than Mr. D in all the years he's been here," she heard Luke whisper to them both.
"Oh, the irony," Annabeth mused.
"Although he is a tyrant when it comes to training. It seems like we are under a military general when we train under him."
Andy watched as Ares yelled at one of the campers, who turned out to be one of his sons, for not holding the sword correctly, making the exercise less effective.
"At least he does his job," Annabeth commented. "Unlike any other god we know..."
She looked away to Mr. D, who was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of the Big House while he read a wine magazine and sipped his can of Diet Coke. The whole camp-on-alert thing didn't seem to matter to him at all.
"Mr. D, where's Chiron?" Luke asked when they reached the Big House.
Dionisio didn't even look up from his magazine to reply.
"If you're looking for the old centaur, Lucius, he's in his office. I swear, ever since the tree was poisoned, he's been searching nonstop for a cure."
"And why don't you do the same?" Andy snapped.
The god of wine narrowed his eyes in her direction.
"Poisons and antidotes aren't my specialty, Abby."
"It's Andy."
"Yeah, whatever. The poison that was used on the tree is ancient. Much older than some young gods like me. There's not much I can do other than slow its deterioration."
Dionisio went back to his magazine and acted as if they weren't even present.
Knowing that they would receive no further information from the god of wine, they went to find Chiron.
They found him in his office, listening to Frank Sinatra on his record player while he sat behind the desk in his magical wheelchair, hiding his equine part. He was reading one of the books that was on his desk, which was full of them.
"Chiron," Luke called.
The old centaur looked up. He looked tired, with slight bags under his eyes, but he offered them a kind smile.
"Oh, Luke, you're here," he admitted. He put the book down on the table and pushed his wheelchair around the desk. "I've heard the Colchis bull problem is solved."
Luke nodded.
"It's done. I did have a little help though," he said, patting Andy's shoulder.
"You are welcome, my girls," Chiron said with a tired smile. "I am sorry we find ourselves in these unfortunate circumstances. However, I am glad to see you both safe and sound. You have grown so much this year."
"Chiron, what's going on?" Annabeth asked shakily. "Is it true that Percy's tree was...?"
"Poisoned," Chiron finished grimly. "Poseidon, who created the tree with his son's spirit, was extremely upset. Unfortunately, it was Argus who had to take responsibility. He was the head of security, after all. And our dear canine friend, Ms. O'Leary, who was injured the day the tree was poisoned."
"Is she okay?" Annabeth looked genuinely concerned for Ms. O'Leary, "I mean, she's not in danger of disintegrating into dust, is she?"
Chiron laughed merrily at that.
"Oh, it takes a lot more for our dear friend to disintegrate. I have no doubt that in a few days she will once again take her place under the shade tree. That, considering whether the tree survives. At this rate, it only has a few weeks to live..." Chiron sighed wearily. For a few seconds, Andy could really see how old the hero trainer was. "It's Thalia I'm worried about."
"Thalia?" Andy asked, confused. "Why?"
It was Luke who decided to answer.
"Ever since she found out what happened to Percy's tree, she interrupted her classes at the college and came as fast as she could. She made a big fuss when she arrived. She blamed us all for letting the tree be poisoned. It wasn't pretty."
"Didn't you try talking to her? When she gets like this, only you and Annabeth can talk some sense into her."
"I did. Or at least I thought I did. I trained with her for hours to the point of exhaustion. And during the night we emptied the beer pantry I kept in her cabin in order to relax."
Andy arched an eyebrow.
"So your big solution was to get drunk?"
Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him.
"You didn't take advantage of her, did you?"
Luke looked offended by that.
"Of course not! I would never do that. What do you take me for?"
"A pervert," they both answered in unison.
"I'm offended," he said, shoulders slumping. "Well. Thing is, it seemed to work at first. She relaxed when we were drinking, and she agreed to help me search for a cure, but... the next morning I found her sitting at the foot of the tree. No matter what I told her, or how much I tried to reason, Thalia refused to leave the tree. She has been there for days. And she has refused to leave the tree except to eat or take a short shower. All day and night, she just sits there and attacks any monster that comes near."
The air turned gloomy once more.
"But... the tree can be cured, right?" Andy asked, a little hopefully.
But those hopes did not last long.
"The poison used against Percy's tree came from the underworld, Andy," Chiron said. "A substance even I've never seen before. It has to come from some monster deep in Tartarus. Because of that poison, the entire valley suffers. The magical borders are deteriorating and the camp itself is dying."
"Is there anything we can do?" Annabeth asked, almost pleadingly.
"Perhaps..." Chiron said doubtfully, but he quickly dismissed the idea. "No. It's too vague an idea."
"What is it?" Andy asked. "We can go find it! Whatever it is."
Chiron shook his head.
"You'd better not. We can't pin our hopes on something that has been lost for centuries. Your main concern right now should be training thoroughly and learning how to fight. You will need it."
"Train... with Ares?" She looked a bit reluctant about that.
"Give him a chance," Chiron encouraged with a small smile. "You'll see it's not as bad as you think. Why do you think campers are so excited to follow his teachings? It's because they see how far they can go under the tutelage of a god. Few, very few in history, have been able to affirm such a fact."
"So you want me to forgive him? Just like that?"
"Forgiveness requires maturity," Luke said. "You must be mature enough to forgive someone who has hurt you in the past. But that doesn't mean you have to be naive enough to trust that person, or in this case god, blindly again. If he wants your trust, let him earn it. And from what I've seen in Ares's time here, he's gaining the trust of the campers. Beyond cabin five."
Chiron looked at Luke with an appreciative gleam. It was obvious that he was proud of the way the son of Hermes had grown up... despite some of his flaws. Of course all do, but some, like Luke, don't let that get them down.
Annabeth looked at him with pride and a slight blush on her cheeks.
"It's... It's okay," Andy said, crossing her arms, a little annoyed. "Everyone doesn't have to be against me."
The others chuckled.
A conch shell resounded throughout the valley. They looked out the office window and realized that the sun had dipped below the horizon, giving way to night. It was dinner time. They could see the campers beginning to gather in the dining pavilion for dinner.
"Go," Chiron said, turning back to his desk. "I still have plenty of books to review. I can get in touch with my wild relatives in the Everglades. Perhaps they know some antidote to the poison I missed. I'll also get in touch with your mother, Andy. I'll tell her you made it to camp and that you're safe. She must be very worried."
Andy swallowed a bit of saliva. She loved her mother, it had no doubt about it. But she could become scarier than Thalia when she got mad. She doubted that even the mighty daughter of Zeus could hold her gaze. And she wouldn't be too happy about what happened on her last day of school.
As an experienced person, she decided to postpone the wrath of her mother.
"That... that can wait," Andy said, a little nervously. "Besides, you have to go out a bit too."
Annabeth nodded in agreement.
"It's not good for you to stay locked up here. It's good for you to focus on finding a cure, but you also need to clear your mind and relax a bit. Otherwise, your performance will decrease."
"She's right, Chiron," Luke backed up. "Why don't you come have dinner with us in the pavilion? You haven't lately. Maybe Thalia will join us if she sees you doing too."
Chiron watched the worried looks he was getting from the campers, those he even came to consider as close as his children, and sighed in resignation.
"Since when are you the ones who care about me?" He smiled slightly amused, "That's supposed to be my job."
"We can't let our dear teacher sulk alone in the dark of his office listening to Frank Sinatra," Luke said. "You're supposed to be there for us. Telling us not to lose hope in these dark times. And that we'll find a solution for everything."
A smile graced the old centaur's face.
"You're right, my boy. Let's go. I was beginning to miss Mr. D's comments at dinner parties."
Luke snorted in amusement.
"Whatever you say, sir."
...
..
.
Special #11
Thalia's nineteenth birthday.
The sound of the doorbell ringing in her apartment snapped Thalia out of her action of setting up her dining room table.
'Finally. It's about time,' she thought.
She took a sip from her beer and went to open the door.
She was hungry. She had ordered pizza for dinner. Why? Simple. One, she didn't feel like cooking. She was not a very capable cook. And two, she had the luxury of ordering pizza because today was a special day.
It was December 21. Her nineteenth birthday.
Normally, those who had another year of life held parties or gatherings with their friends and family to celebrate.
But Thalia was not like any person.
Her family was weird. Divided into two classes; mortal and divine.
Her mortal family were dead.
Her divine family would not come to visit her apartment in New York City just to congratulate her. Even though her father was only twenty minutes away by car.
And those whom she truly considered her family would not be able to come. Annabeth was with her father on the other side of the country. And Luke had sent an Iris Message saying that he had gone to Colorado to help a couple of demigods Grover had encountered in his search for Pan. However, she had spoken with all three and received their respective congratulations from an Iris Message a few hours ago.
So she would spend her birthday alone. Again.
But she didn't care. She had gotten used to being alone ever since she decided to live on her own more than two years ago.
She went to open the door to her apartment, and she was surprised when she didn't see anyone there. She looked down the halls, but there was no one in sight. She frowned in confusion and started to close the door, but an object on the floor in front of her door caught her eye.
It was a cardboard birthday box. Decorated with a blue ribbon and an ostentatious bow at the top. On one side of the bow, there was a note. She picked it up and was surprised at what she read.
Happy Birthday, my Daughter.
"That idiot," Thalia muttered, though there was a small smile on her face.
She picked up the package and walked into her apartment, closing the door behind her. She wasted no time opening the box, though she carefully unwrapped the ribbon. She didn't want to destroy it. It was cute.
When she opened the box, she was surprised to see the strangest thing she had ever seen as a birthday present; a can of whipped cream.
"But what the hell is this?" she wondered, looking at the can carefully.
At first glance, it looked like a can of whipped cream like any other. On the label it read; «OLYMPUS ULTRA 3000 WHIPPED CREAM BRAND HESTIA. EXTRA CREAMY. 250g» On the back, the product description read; «SHAKE THE CONTAINER TO GET THE CREAM OUT. IF YOU WANT TO GET THE SECONDARY FUNCTION, JUST UNCOVER THE CONTAINER WITHOUT SHAKING IT»
Thalia uncapped the container without shaking it and was pleasantly surprised when the can of whipped cream transformed into a six-foot-high spear. It was made entirely of Celestial Bronze, if the faint sheen it cast was any indication. Leather covered to facilitate the grip of it. But what most caught her attention was the tip of it. It was much longer and wider than any ordinary spearhead. It was like the blade of a 23 inches short sword. Despite that, Thalia felt really comfortable in her hand, with the right weight. She placed three fingers in the middle of the spear and lifted it with it, checking that it was perfectly balanced.
She did a couple of experimental turns with it, marveling at how light she felt. She liked the feeling. With how light it was, it wouldn't be inconvenient for her to use it in conjunction with her shield. It would be the perfect combination between defense and attack. It was as if the spear had been created specifically for her. Which wouldn't surprise her, considering who had given it to her.
"Your birthday presents are always weird, but... Thanks, Dad."
The sound of the doorbell echoed through her apartment again. She quickly hid her new weapon, not knowing how to turn it back into a can of whipped cream. She would find out later. Now, she had an important matter on her hands.
She had to satisfy her stomach.
Maybe it was because it was her birthday. Or maybe because the pizza and beer were damn delicious. But, that night, it was the first time that Thalia had drunk so much.
After eating the pizza she had ordered in her dining room, she set out to drink all the beer she had in her fridge. Normally, she would have a bit of self-control when it came to drinking, but as the hours passed, and she watched the snow fall from her window, that inhibition slipping began to slip away as his mood began to slowly drop into an increasingly somber state.
She was happy about the gift her father had given her, but she couldn't help but feel a little lonely in what she now felt was an apartment too big for one person. Even though it was warm inside it due to the heating she had, Thalia felt a chill in her heart that began to spread throughout her body that she desperately tried to drown out with alcohol.
She admitted that wasn't healthy, but she didn't give a shit.
It was her birthday, after all. She hoped that she could spend it with those she cared for. Those whom she loves. Have dinner together, chat and just have a good time in their company. Who wouldn't want that? Someone like her, who had lost so much in her life, valued more than anything the few ties she had with those she held dear.
Now they were not. And she was alone in her apartment. She was drunk, with beer bottles strewn on the floor and on the small table in front of the sofa in her living room.
"Wake me up... hic!... when September ends... hic!" She sang the music she heard from the small speaker connected to her cell phone.
Normally, a demigod shouldn't use any technology, as it attracted monsters. But Thalia was protected inside her apartment due to the branch of Percy's tree that was neatly placed on a table by the window, casting a pleasant pine scent throughout the room.
"Wait... it's not September... hic!... it's December! Then the music would have to be 'Wake Me Up When December Ends'! HAHAHAHA!... hic!"
In her drunken state, that clarification was hilarious to her. She drank all the beer that was left in her can and left it on the table.
"How many have I taken?" she murmured in a drawling voice. "Twenty?... Twenty-one?... hic!... Never mind."
She got up with the intention of reaching for more beer, but a different sensation in her lower body told her that she had to go to the bathroom first.
When she finished the call of the wild, she went to her room to get a blanket. For some strange reason, she was cold.
She returned to the living room wrapped in a thick winter blanket that had a picture of a lion on it. She wanted to go to the refrigerator to get more beer, but her feet took her to the window that overlooked the balcony, more specifically to the table that was next to the window where the pot that held a small pine tree was; she had named the mini-Percy.
She turned off the lights in the living room, leaving her in darkness with the only light from New York City visible through her window, and sat on one side of the table, the blanket wrapped around her body, covering her completely from head to toe, leaving visible only her face flushed with alcohol.
She felt tired. Her mind was cloudy, and she felt a strange tightness in her heart that she hadn't felt in a long time.
Thalia didn't understand why she felt that way. She was an independent woman. Lived alone in a nice and luxurious apartment without having to worry about money. Without having to explain to anyone, and without anyone bothering her. She was studying at the university, a career that she liked. She had fulfilled her dream of writing a book and had started writing a draft for a sequel.
Life for her was good and prosperous. Many would like to be in the position she was in now.
Then why?
Why did she feel that tightness in her heart?
Why did she feel so empty inside of her?
So... lonely.
Was that the price of freedom? When she woke up, there was no one to say 'Good morning'. When she comes home at night, feeling tired after a long day, there will be no one to say 'Welcome'.
Was that freedom? Or loneliness?
In the moments before Thalia closed her eyes to sleep, she had an answer clear in her mind.
"Happy birthday... to me..." she whispered, feeling her eyelids heavy and slowly closing her eyes. She snuggled deeper into her blanket. "Happy... birthday... to... me..."
Her head rested on one of the wooden table legs, and she fell asleep in a deep sleep in the darkness of her living room.
...
..
.
And that's all for now, my dear readers.
With this chapter we begin ¨The Sea of Monsters¨, being my least favorite book in the Percy Jackson saga. Not because it's boring or anything, but because it just didn't feel like it had much of an impact on the story, except for a few incidents.
That is why I will fast-forward this book and focus on something else. On other characters that I've been itching to write, like Luke.
At another point, you saw that Chiron was not fired by the camp, which seemed a bit absurd to me, since Chiron has shown for centuries how loyal he is to the gods.
In the next chapter the quest to go retrieve the Golden Fleece will be given, but as I said, I won't focus on that.
As for Thalia's special, I wanted to show the emptiness that she felt. Despite having what many yearn for, that is not enough. It is never enough to fill the void in our hearts. I have felt that kind of feeling many times when I go back to my apartment and realize how lonely it is when there is no one to greet you. I have spent several birthdays completely alone. And it's not pretty. So in this special I put something of myself into it.
If you have someone with you, appreciate it. Value the moment you spend with them. Because when there is no one next to you, you wish you had seized that moment.
Anyway, that's all for now. I hope you liked it. Tell me what you thought. I am always looking forward to your comments, my lovely readers.
And with nothing more to say... Until next time, handsome!