Sorry for not updating sooner but I have been very busy with school related stuff. To make it up to you here's two chapters today!

Orpheus threw a last glance at his father to make sure that he was really fine then looked down at the chapter which was next.

I Am Offered a Quest

Even thought she knew that it was coming looked Annabeth excited about the fact that she could finally prove herself on a quest.

The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.

I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call "lights out" whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else.

"That sounds so great." Connor said, the idea of a cabin of his own really excited him.

"It is not always fun." Reyna said as she remembered how alone she would fell in her villa if it weren't for her two faithful dogs; she hoped that they were also taken care about.

"Agreed, it can get lonely if you are alone in a cabin." Luke said even thought his grandfather had told his dad last month that he might soon have also demigod siblings so he guessed that he would stay alone in Cabin Three in some time.

And I was absolutely miserable.

"See." come it from everyone who either had a cabin or villa of they own in they respective camps.

Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.

"After a while one tends to ignore it." Hades said while keeping his arms securely around his wife who tried not to glare at those words, her husband was a nice person; he only showed it rarely because he didn't wish to be hurt.

"There is a saying that it is lonely on the top, I think." Henry said not sure, but he didn't care. "Basically, the more power you have the lonelier you are, mostly if you are a bad judge of character and can't separate those who are with you for they own gain and those to whom you really matter."

"That is true child, the wish for power and influence that they can do anything they wish is sadly a dangerous fatal flaw which can be easily manipulated." Chiron said before looking apologetically at the gods, but seeing that a great number of the council nodded he continued. "It is one of the most commonly inherited flaw of all children of Zeus." he finished while Jay, Perseus and Hercules looked over at they father, but he stared with an annoyed expression at the ceiling wile they half-brothers and sisters hung they heads, both gestures confirming the words of the old teacher.

"Also agreed, this is kind of why Ry here is my co-praetor, if I get to overconfident on a power rush brings he me crashing to earth, unfortunately sometimes also literally." he said with a small glare at his partner.

"Well, you were kind of under the trance from those emposai and didn't exactly listen to me so I needed to use drastic measures before you would do a permanent visit by us." Henry said while gesturing to both Enysswe and himself.

"By the way, how come they didn't enchant you?" Octavian asked surprising everyone that he sounded merely curious and nothing else, but they also wanted to know emposai could easily enchant men. Not that his helped to much the future parents of one of the two praetors.

"Easy, we stood over and old coal mine and there in the collapsed regions the walls gave free a number of crystals, when the emposai started they little enchantment I willed the crystals to start resonating as loud as possible so the sound blocked out the charm. The only problem with that trick is that it only is useful to my mom and me, so even if Nath would have been closer to me I could have not helped him with the resonation." Henry said with a small frown.

"Wow, that sounds actually like a neat trick even if it only helps you." Michael said, those powers kind of sounded neat even if he had used jewels. He knew how well sound waves could work; he loved using sonic arrows in a fight.

"I also find it interesting; personally I have never read about any child of Lord Hades having these powers." Annabeth said in a curious tone.

"It is the rarer aspect of grandfather's inheritable powers, riches. After my knowledge are me and mom the only ones who inherited this theme the others all got the death aspect." Henry finished with his explanation indicating with his hands that they should return to the book.

Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back.

The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one; that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.

"Poor guy, but it is still better then if he would have been in our camp." Frank said a little sheepishly as he looked carefully at the gods.

"What do you mean?" Poseidon inquired at which Hades let out a small chuckle. "Brother?" the Sea God asked suspiciously, did his older brother know something?

"I'm sorry, I just remembered a part of our little conversation by lunch and it turns out brother that in the eyes of the Romans, were the both of us seen as ill omens." Hades finished at which Poseidon looked with wide eyes first at his brother then at the squirming demigods before breaking out in a good natured and hearty laugh.

"Why do I see our little brother throwing the largest party in the history of Olymphos when the Romans decided that the both of us are to be feared?" Poseidon asked with mirth as he continued laughing while his brother chuckled.

"I will be stunned if he doesn't arrange some clouds to boast about how he is better then us." The Lord of the Dead said while all around them the others started breaking out laughing, well except Zeus who glared at both of his older sibling.

"Orpheus continue." Zeus growled while continuing to glare while the Romans relaxed and Reyna gave a new point to her list.

The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible.

Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I'd done to the Ares folks in the woods, so my lessons with Luke became one-on-one. He pushed me harder than ever, and wasn't afraid to bruise me up in the process.

"Yeah, he is getting a feel about how it feels fighting you." Luke grumbled as Sally patted him on the back.

"You're going to need all the training you can get," he promised, as we were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions."

"That is strange" Clarisse suddenly spoke up, frowning.

"What do you mean?" Silena asked before anyone else had the chance to do so.

"This is kind of too much, I know that he is a Big Three kid and we all start training hard right after arriving, but the work description of the other days was noting compared to this. Beside that, doing the viper-beheading strike like twenty times puts already a strain on your arm, mostly if the sword you use is not balanced enough. I hade dragged enough of my siblings to the infirmary because they ended up spraining they wrists as they overdid it." at this Lee nodded in confirmation, it happened enough times during his shifts "Beside that is he even making it harder with adding the flaming torches seeing that he is the son of the Sea God." she finished explaining being an expert in the case of weapons and fighting styles, something you get as the kid of a war god.

"I need to agree with Clarisse, even if he is great with a sword that is too much for a person who was only learning how to use that type of weapon." Reyna agreed as her hand started unconsciously playing with Jay's hair, Aphrodite and her children had a hard time to not gush over how cute that was, while also Malcolm nodded, his sister was still in a type of denial.

Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she scowled at me, as if I'd just poked her between the eyes.

After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest ... Poseidon? ... Dirty rotten ... Got to make a plan …"

"Ugh…can I get a worse staring impression on him then I do in those few days he is there?" Annabeth asked in frustration, under normal circumates would it not interest her, but seeing how not far behind her two teens sat who were apparently her children with the guy she is doing these bad impressions on. Well in such cases you kind of don't want a relationship to start like this.

Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.

"And that idiot didn't think about just asking me? I would have probably loved to comply with his wish after that episode by the creek." Clarisse said groaning, this guy was truly frustrating and she would be meeting him only in one and a half year. The others couldn't help themselves the two comments put together were kind of funny.

I knew somebody at camp resented me,

The Greek demigods frowned at this, sure there were the occasional fights, they all had inherited they parents quick temper, but they didn't resent each other.

because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the New York Daily News, opened to the Metro page.

"How did that get in there?" Katie asked suspiciously, they didn't get mortal newspapers at camp.

"Somebody must have snuck out and brought it in, the fact that it was placed in front of Percy's cabin and opened at a certain page…" Malcolm said, but trailed of when the sound of growls hit his ears. Turning around they all saw the Jackson siblings looking ready to attack someone while Lance was holding onto Luke and Misty onto Sally.

"Orpheus continue reading and Lord Poseidon, for the love of goodness control your tempter for the upcoming article and no one should interrupt. The mortals down below should really be spared from nature catastrophes at least a bit." Misty said as she gestured to Orpheus who nodded and tried to get as fast through the article as he could.

The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.

Everybody frowned at this, but didn't comment a word.

BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT

BY EILEEN SMYTHE

Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken.

The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding.

Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident.

Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past.

Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline.

Everyone's knuckles started turning white as they balled they hands into fists, the gods looked even somewhat flustered as they were trying to keep they powers in check, but it was easier said then done. The demigods were muttering curses in ancient Greek, Latin, English and French for the Aphrodite/Venus kids also together with they other native languages. They all would have really loved to comment aloud, but refrained from doing so, now understanding why the siblings looked furious and why Misty wanted them to not interrupt.

The phone number was circled in black marker.

"That aliboron, he even delibetery circled in the number for Percy to see." Mitchell sheeted and Malcolm needed to agree with him, someone was really not liking Percy and the comments Luke dropped, his reactions were a…he suddenly tensed could it be? He carefully looked over at his sister; he knew how much that will hurt her, the touch of a finger on his hand made him turn slightly to the other side to Mitchell who was looking at him while his finger traced the skin on the back of his hand. He wanted to pull away, but then his brain finally registered that the patterns were not random, but actually words, he tried concentrating on the finger dancing gracefully over his skin. "We need to talk tonight, it is important." it had read, a simple message, but it could be converted without making others suspicious, he would have never thought that an Aphrodite kid could come up with such a thing.

I wadded up the paper and threw it away, then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.

"Lights out," I told myself miserably.

That night, I had my worst dream yet.

"Good catching the keyword 'yet' dad." Sally said while everyone groaned, this was not what they wanted to hear.

I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.

The demigods looked thoughtful, trying to figure out where it was while both Enysswe and Henry tried not to let any emotion show on they faces, they will need to keep themselves in check during this chapter.

About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green.

Everyone was looking at the two brothers who did they best to avoid looking at the family, but it bothered them that they were now for the second time present in a demigod dream, it was never good if they didn't go there to give a dream message.

They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

The other gods groaned while Hades tried not to think about how much work he will have thanks to his brothers.

I had to stop them. I didn't know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back, until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.

Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, Give it back! Give it back! Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.

"I don't know what a kindergartener is, but something tells me that the comparison is accurate." Demeter said as the others chuckled at Zeus's expenses who remembered that if he attacks would not only his present family attack back, but he would have broken his oath on the River Styx which would not be without pain.

The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.

I yelled, Stop it! Stop fighting!

"Dad, when you get into one of your ' part of a Big Three kid fight' one needs to either set you guys into panic to stop like in the third book, knock somehow out or have a good deal of people, if we are lucky preferably gods, your dads the most, to restrain you." Mich said while the gods looked over at them with the demigods who all had wide eyes, they needed sometimes to be restrained by gods? Jay meanwhile looked embarrassed at the thought, but kind of pleased that he will be pretty strong in the future.

"I thought you hinted since the start of the books that Percy gets along with his cousins alright?" Apollo asked in a stunned tone.

"He does, the problem is that sometimes he and his cousins are too much alike in they manner and that this can lead to some fights, but when it ends they are back in a few minutes to the way they were before the argument. I think the comment aunt Annabeth makes in the second book will explain it better to you." Misty said before waving her hand.

The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice.

The air started turning tense again, no one was sure what to think it was to far in the future and they were not sure if something with them changed in the case of personality, but then there was the mention by Enysswe that the voice Percy heard in his dream was much darker then her grandfather and the fact with the slowing down time.

Come down, little hero, the voice crooned. Come down!

Everybody shudder at this, even thought the words were read it had sent a cold shiver down they backs.

The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.

I woke up, sure I was falling.

I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. I hadn't dreamed that.

I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold.

"Come in?"

Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you."

"Why?"

"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."

"Really smooth way to tell him Grover." Chris snickered.

Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.

For days, I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that I was declared a son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who weren't supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.

"Technically because of the circumantes why the oath was made is your existence a crime, but in the end it will be a good thing. There are many opposites separated by a thin line which is to easy to cross or when you try looking at things from the other side." Enysswe said with a small smile, she had been hanging around to many dead philosophers as of late it seems or she spent too much time chatting with her uncle William whenever he was not judging souls.

The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish me for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their verdict.

"Nah, only start fretting when you see me sitting with D, I'm the usual messenger for these things, well beside for uncle Hades, he has his three assistants for that from which you have angered one already." Hermes said in amusement.

Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil.

"This boy has truly interesting comparisons." Orpheus said interrupting himself before staring to read again as some people snickered at the sentence.

A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.

"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."

"Really?" the Romans asked.

"Yes, we only have rain if we wish to water the fields and plants in the valley, but in any other case have we always sunny weather." Katie explained to the Romans as Reyna put a new punkt on her list while the heroes of old looked over to they stunned parents, even if they aren't there in presence they really did have more interaction with they children in the future. It kind of made them envious.

I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"

He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."

The Greeks nodded while the Romans hoped that they will also get a weather control over they camp, fight training in rain is not fun with the high chance for injuries.

I realized he was right. In the week I'd been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I'd seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.

But this storm ... this one was huge.

Everyone looked at Zeus, who just shrugged.

At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs.

"We always do, they are a fun competition." Michael said shrugging.

"No more satyrs on the streets who do nothing." Reyna said to her fellow legionaries, she would have liked what they ancestors were doing with ignoring the potential of satyrs unlike the Greeks. Who knows where they camp and the city would be now if they did.

Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow.

"Forget about those bushes." Octavian hissed at Trickster who looked again thoughtful.

"You know it is kind of strange to be defended by Octavian." Dakota whispered to Gwen who looked back at him with a small smile on her lips.

"I find it cute." she told the now baffled boy.

"I think your Venus side is betting more prominent in the presence of your mom and siblings." he replied back to her, he didn't see anything cute about the situation, if nothing other he wanted Octavian checked by Lord Apollo and his uncles to see if something was wrong with him, or it could be the work of the Fates.

Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.

This made the demigods exchange nervous glances, that didn't sound good.

Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheel chair. They were playing against invisible opponents-two sets of cards hovering in the air.

"See, I'm not there so no death sentence." Hermes said while Poseidon let out a relieved sigh.

"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."

I waited.

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to bow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

"Could you not use the annoying nickname Owl Head had given me?" Poseidon asked in an annoyed tone as he looked over at his nephew who gave him a sheepish smile while Athena beamed at her brother.

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Poseidon continued to glare at his nephew while Athena giggled, the others were having a hard time to not follow her lied.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

All the gods refrained themselves from glaring at Dionysus because of what they had found out some chapters ago, they didn't want to find out if his mood is partly to be contributed to the restriction of his properties.

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Well there is spontaneous self combustion also." Mich said while everyone stared at him strangely well except the legacies.

"Don't worry, when you finally read about his dad will you not be stunned by anything he says." Misty said giggling, uncle Leo was certainly a funny and strange guy, but that seemed to run in his family.

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Looking at the titles of these books and if my son would not contribute so much to our safety I think I would highly prefer that plan." Poseidon admitted, at least then he would his future self not need to worry about his son getting hurt.

"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting.

Everyone looked nervous, those meetings were never good and were bound to real problems unlike they two annual meetings.

If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

"Wow, did you notice that Mr. D used Percy's name correct?" Travis asked hoping to divert the tense atmosphere somewhat, but he was ignored by everyone except the legacies who gave him shrugs.

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.

He snapped his fingers.

The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

Chiron smiled at me, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover."

We did.

Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.

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

Just hearing the name made me shudder.

Chiron probably wanted me to say, Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast.

But I didn't feel like lying.

There were many nods of approval at this, lies could be dangerous and hurtful when the truth comes out.

"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."

"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."

Cue groans.

"And that is one big understatement, by the current stand of things had uncle Percy managed to get the most part of the Greco-Roman mythological world to want to crush him and nearly all monsters had already fought against him, some more then once and know him by name." Henry said while shaking his head.

"Don't tell me, mom is already joking that anytime now and dad will be getting birthday cards from the monsters he had fought." Sally said with a giggle when there was suddenly a loud splash, turning around noted everyone the large puddle on Poseidon's now empty throne.

'Just ignore him, he will reform when he manages to calm down." Amphitrite said while looking down at the puddle which she had married.

"So this is normal?" Fredric asked carefully.

"Yes, we all tend to change into something bound to our element if we get to nervous about something." Hera added in remembering the annoying two days when her husband was a floating ball of lightning, she needed to use a fan to get him into a guest room because he shocked her whenever she got close as ten feet to him.

"Done ... with what?"

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"

I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.

No matter the seriousness of the situation some snorted at the image.

"Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."

Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."

Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.

The tension was back as the gods both in and outside exchanged nervous glances, they all could feel the dark foreshadowing hidden in that sentence, there would be war if nothing happens.

"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"

"The Lightning Thief…" Athena gasped as she suddenly remembered the title of the book, how could she have missed it.

"Somebody stole my Master Bolt!" Zeus thundered as he jumped up from his throne, but Hera grabbed his arm and dragged him back to his seat.

"Sit back down you big kid, this was exactly what the Fates were talking about, looking at the number of books we have here seems it that you will get your beloved toy back and then you can marry it." said the Queen of Heavens to her spluttering husband while all around them everyone except the puddle and a still annoyed Mrs. Chase broke everyone out laughing.

"G…great one stepmother…" Apollo and Hermes said together while trying to not fall from they thrones, again.

"Ne…never knew that Lady Juno had such a humour…" Trickster said, he will need to make a mental note to bring some of the goddess flowers to her temple when they get back home, a goddess with such great humour directed towards Jupiter needed to be honoured.

Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.

Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"

My face felt hot. I wished I hadn't opened my big mouth.

"That will be a returning theme." Ace said still snickering from what Hera had said.

"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft.

And ... I've also been having these dreams."

"Hate those." all demigods said.

"I knew it," Grover said.

"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.

"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"

"Only the Oracle can determine."

Cue shudders from the Greek demigods which made Apollo frown and the Romans lean a bit further in the books direction.

Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."

Zeus looked furious, but was doing his best to keep his powers in check.

I laughed nervously. "A what?"

"My Master Bolt is not a laughing matter boy." Zeus growled while his sons nodded in understanding with they father.

"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."

Some of the demigods were gapping about how dangerous that thing was and just how wrong mortals got that thing on the statues then Annabeth and Malcolm gasped.

"The Bolt will be stolen soon, we are one and a half year from the time before Percy arrives at camp so in other words by the next Winter Solicit." Annabeth said and the children looked together carefully, things were not sounding good.

"Then you know what to do Chiron, if we find out who the thief is you need a plan to catch that person." Athena instructed not noticing how her son looked over at the brunette beside him, both looking nervous.

"Oh."

"That is the only thing he can say?" Bellerophon asked in shock.

"Kind of yes." Misty replied with a shrug.

"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

All those who knew what that was shuddered and the Chases looked suddenly with fear at Zeus who looked confused.

"Are those things really that bad?" Artemis asked not liking that the mortals may make something as dangerous that it is somewhat close to her father's powers. Beside her Apollo let out a gasp, looking pale.

"I would say yes, they are a bad thing." he said with a shudder after the vision disappeared.

"And it's missing?"

"Stolen," Chiron said.

"By who?"

"By whom," Chiron corrected.

Once a teacher, always a teacher.

The demigods and legacies were nodding with bright smiles on they lips while Chiron blushed in embarrassment.

"By you."

My mouth fell open.

"I can understand his reaction, he had no clue what he was or even how the Master Bolt looked so is it highly unlikely that he had stolen it." Perseus said, it also helped that they were reading Percy's thoughts and even if not something told him that this young hero would never intentionally do something which hurt others.

"Agreed." chorused the others.

"At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument.

"When do they not?" asked the rest of the council and the divinities outside in exasperation.

The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' etcetera.

The Greek demigods and legacies nodded they heads while the heroes of the past and the Roman demigods stared gapping at this information, this was the argument between two mayor gods?

"And as grandfather likes to put it 'Neither air nor sea disasters are spectacular, the only thing they do is make more work in the Underworld' with which I perfectly agree." Enysswe said in a stern tone while Hades glared at his little brother and the puddle.

"Son nice to know that my argument gets still ignored." Hades said testily while Zeus avoided his gaze.

"Okey, I agree how Chiron called those arguments." Jay whispered to his friends, his dad was really starting to sound like a little kid.

Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon.

"Nothing new, since the Titans got defeated are his usual suspects his brothers." Hades said with a shrug.

Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"But I didn't—"

"Patience and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne.

"Which is only silly Zeus, Poseidon certainly loves ruling over his domain." Hera said huffing while Amphitrite, Triton and the Jackson siblings nodded.

"Mostly after he finished making that huge game room with all types of games which were made in the last three thousand years counted back from our time." Luke said brightening up at the memory of his granddad's game room.

"That sound sooo cool." come it from all sons of Hermes.

"All type of games?" Annabeth inquired.

"Yep, last time we visited there you spent like two hours on one of the logic videogames." Sally told her mom who blushed.

"That room sounds really great." Hermes said to Apollo who nodded wondering if they uncle would let them visit.

The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."

"And how did he get past dad's automaton, he is the only one who can give you the passing card to get to Olymphos and he doesn't even know on which floor it is." Beckendorf asked in confusion while the other demigods nodded.

"I hope that you will not say that your son made a faulty guard for the entrance." Hera hissed at her husband while Hephaestus smiled, it was nice to see his mother defending him.

"O…of course not dearest." Zeus mumbled while some snickered or whispered 'burned' under they breaths.

"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"

Thunder sounded outside

"I'm not crazy, that is Hades." Zeus said turning away from Hera while he got glared at by his brother, daughter, son and the Underworld cousins.

"Oh, please father drop that common theme you and mother tend to share at least is he not into acting all dramatic as you." Persephone snapped from her husband's lap while he stared back at her in shock.

"And we know whose fault it is that she turned out like this." Demeter hissed to Zeus her anger returning.

Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid.

The legacies shuddered at this.

"Way to foreshadow things uncle Percy." Henry said which made the others pale, but they knew that asking was futile.

"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."

"Childish." both Hera and Demeter huffed.

"Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggested.

There were some snickers at that while Chiron raised his hands in surrender as Zeus looked at him.

"Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before.

"WHAT!" Zeus roared while the others from the past looked shocked.

"It was not out of that reason, let Orpheus read." Enysswe said standing up while the demigods looked together, they were really far back in the past.

I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..." He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember question thirty-eight.

"Which he does." Sally said smiling.

How could anyone accuse me of stealing a god's weapon? I couldn't even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe's poker party without getting busted. Chiron was waiting for an answer.

"Something about a golden net?" I guessed. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods ... they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"

"See, I told you that there was a ground for that." En said nodding as the atmosphere started to relax.

"I can see why we would do that, but unfortunately it didn't seem to work as planned only in part." Hera said, ignoring her spluttering husband while both Aphrodite and Ares shuddered at they own encounter with such a net.

"Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since.

"Which is childish brother, they did this to get you to listen to them that you can be a better ruler to everyone." Hestia said in a disappointed tone.

"Agreed." the other gods said.

Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along—the proverbial last straw."

"But I'm just a kid!"

"Your point?" the Chases shifted at this in they seats.

"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you... Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"

Everyone but Zeus chuckled at that, he only glowered at all of them.

"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"

Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style.

There were many nods at this, even Athena needed to agree that this didn't sound like her rival and uncle.

But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date.

Cue groans.

I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense

Everyone looked sympatically at the three sisters who were shaking they heads at they brothers.

But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"

"Bad?" I guessed.

"That is mildly putting it." Hephaestus grumbled.

"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."

"Water-balloon fights are fun." Travis made a new attempt to lighten the mood, but was again ignored.

"Bad," I repeated.

"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."

It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.

I had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me. I was furious.

"Not good." Sally said.

"What do you mean?" Silena asked trying not to think about the sudden rain which will come when they cabin is out sunbathing.

"When dad is angry his powers get stronger and well, destructive if in battle, but you will understand why it is better for all if they don't anger him more then by the Minotaur." Sally finished while some exchanged uneasy or confused gazes.

"So I have to find the stupid bolt," I said. "And return it to Zeus."

"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"

"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?"

"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."

"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"

"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."

I swallowed. "Good reason."

"You agree then?"

I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly.

Easy for him. I was the one Zeus wanted to kill.

"Only one now on a pretty long list of names." sang the legacies and the puddle started gurgling for a few seconds before it become still again.

"I think he fainted." Triton whispered to his mother in shock while she nodded in agreement.

"All right," I 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."

"Huh?" Apollo asked in confusion while the Romans looked curious.

Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trap door.

I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place.

The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else ... a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes.

Cue shudders from the demigods.

I held my breath and climbed.

The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS.

Odysseus perked up at hearing those names as did Bellerophon by the last one.

One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled thingssevered hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.

Some jaws dropped, there had been a hydra attack on Woodstock?

Orpheus suddenly stopped reading and looked over at the demigods who noticing his gaze nodded to the blonde who groaned inwardly, his father will not like this one bit.

By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy.

Before anyone could comment Orpheus continued, but tried not to cring as he was starting to remember his trip to the Underworld, that boy needed to do that now did he.

Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.

"Uhm…around fifty years given or take." Annabeth said carefully while the others looked green in they faces at the description of that thing, Dakota only tackled a now bet red Octavian.

"Dakota! Get off of me this instant!" the blonde yelled, but the son of Bacchus was only hugging him tighter.

"Do you know how happy I am that you are alive?" Dakota asked making the poor guy go even more red.

"What happened to my Oracle!" Apollo yelled in shock while Felix, Frank and Trickster pried Dakota off of Octavian who looked close to hyperventilating.

"We are not sure dad only that she didn't change bodies since those fifty years." Lee answered carefully while they father flopped back into his throne massaging his forehead while Artemis and Hermes patted his arms in concern.

"Fifth book." Misty called out as a signal for Orpheus to continue.

Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth.

"Uhg…give ominous music to it and you have a pretty good horror movie." Connor said happy that he never got a quest and thus never needed to go up there.

"I prefer aunt Rach." Lance whispered to the others who nodded, he ignored the Underworld cousins, they didn't have a problem with dead people.

A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trap door, but it slammed shut.

Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.

"Ouch, Arty what was that for?" Apollo hissed while rubbing the back of his head where his twin had hit him.

"For adding in the stupid solo action you did." she answered him with a glare.

"Sorry." he said knowing that she was angry because of the state he had been in when he returned, he would certainly feel the same if it would have been the other way around.

I wanted to say, No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bathroom. But I forced myself to take a deep breath.

"Uh…just a question, what would have happened if he would have said that?" Connor asked curiously.

"She needs to tell the prophecy and if it belongs to a person she knows where they are she will tell them, so she would have grabbed him and told him anyway and only let go when it was done." Enysswe said shrugging while the demigods looked either pale or green at the thought form being grabbed by the mummy of the Oracle.

"I agree with Dakota, I like the fact that you are alive Octavian." Trickster said a teddy murdering blonde versus mummy, he will take the teddy terror.

The mummy wasn't alive. She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist.

"Can you at least give me a hint what happened that the spirit refuses to change bodies?" Apollo pleaded with the legacies who were all looking at Enysswe now who sighed before looking at her grandfather.

"Her host did something extremely dangerous and foolish and thus got into a situation which could have ended with just a simple gesture of acceptance." was the only thing she said.

"Ok, she is also certainly yours, only you do this talk in riddles." Ares said at which Will blushed again.

But its presence didn't feel evil, like my demonic math teacher Mrs. Dodds or the Minotaur. It felt more like the Three Fates I'd seen knitting the yarn outside the highway fruit stand: ancient, powerful, and definitely not human. But not particularly interested in killing me, either.

There were many nods of approval at the observation.

I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"

The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies.

Cue growls and threats.

My fists clenched, though I knew this poker party couldn't be real. It was an illusion, made out of mist.

Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.

The Greek demigods tried to not look in Hades's direction, they knew that there was more to this.

His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

Zeus smiled at this while his family rolled they eyes at him.

The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

Everyone tensed again and Malcolm threw a worried glance at his sister.

Finally, Eddie, our building superior, delivered the worst line of all: And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

This only made the tension worse.

The figures began to dissolve. At first I was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, I cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"

"Sorry, she won't answer." Apollo said still wondering what happened to his Oracle.

The tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it hadn't been open in a hundred years. The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos.

I got the feeling that I could stand here until I had cob webs, too, and I wouldn't learn anything else.

My audience with the Oracle was over.

"Well?" Chiron asked me.

I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."

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

"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."

"Understatement."

My ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice. "She ... she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"I knew it," Grover said.

Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"

I didn't want to tell him.

What friend would betray me? I didn't have that many.

"Now he has a pretty good number, the fan club not included." Misty said.

"Fan club?" asked the stunned demigods.

"Yep, a club who is deadly afraid whenever mom is holding her knife." Sally said while Annabeth blushed much to the annoyance of her father, Athena decided to wait somewhat more to see what to think about the relationship.

And the last line—I would fail to save what mattered most. What kind of Oracle would send me on a quest and tell me, Oh, by the way, you'll fail.

"Is that supposed to be a hypocritical question?" Apollo asked with a raised eyebrow, no actual oracle would be predicting you flowers and sunshine a prophecy is generally depressing or predicts not good things for the receiver which they need to overcome.

How could I confess that?

"No," I said. "That's about it."

He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

"That is an understatement about the double meaning." Nathan said as he looked at Mich who nodded so no one noticed Enysswe who held back a sigh, she would be on this day in they time sixteen and get told about the prophecy which was the ground for her birth in the first place.

I got the feeling he knew I was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make me feel better.

"He would be not the first of my pupils to do that." Chiron replied.

"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"

"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"

Enysswe and Henry huffed in annoyance.

"Somebody else who wants to take over?" I guessed.

"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."

Chiron shifted uneasily under the glare he got from Hades, Persephone, Enysswe and Henry.

"Do I look like as if I would want more death?" Hades asked his brother testily, he was starting to have enough from everyone thinking that he was evil. "I may be not pleased as often with my realm as I should be, but I like that place both Poseidon and Zeus would never manage to keep it in control and I may be often angry with my brothers, but I would never wish destroying them." he finished.

"I'm sorry." Chiron said as the glares continued.

I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades."

Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."

"More like the only you wanted to accept." Henry snapped.

"And while Luke will be moody till the fifth book will these two be the same till near the end of this one." Misty informed everyone who looked nervous, they had already seen Enysswe angry a few times while reading and they didn't know that outside were three siblings still ranting about how unfair they father gets treated.

A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"

No one snickered at this.

"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."

"Yes, but—but Hades hates all heroes,"

Hades huffed in annoyance while Persephone snuggled closer to him to show her support.

"Strange, that he still can be agreeable." Dionysus said earning himself a small smile from his uncle.

Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."

"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued.

"Peace, I realize my mistake." Chiron said when Enysswe and Henry returned they glares to him.

"The only way the hellhound could have been summoned would be that the person is either a child of Lord Hades or had an ally to help them." Chiron said carefully.

"Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."

It was not easy to ignore the growls or the dancing shadows.

"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."

"Two of many more to come, though Lord Hades is now kind of a different case." Lance said while the others were busy not groaning.

"What do you mean?" Theseus asked still worried for his little brother.

"Well, Lord Hades is still trying to decide how he feels bout uncle Percy seeing the things he did and uncle Nico's and aunt Hazel's attachment to him. In other words he is stuck between if he should, which we hope not, loose his life to right out place him on the Isle of Blest or throw him into Tartaros." Mich explained seeing how En and Ry were still busy trying to coming murderer with they looks, till now luckily they didn't schussed.

"Uhm…that sounds nice…" Hades said slightly confused, his nephew will certainly give them all either gray hair or headaches.

"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."

"Not going to work uncle Grover." Misty said.

"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon.I don't pretend to under stand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."

"He will, but not what everyone had thought." Sally said while ignoring the three members of they family who were muttering some highly scary things under they breaths.

A strange fire burned in my stomach. The weirdest thing was: it wasn't fear. It was anticipation. The desire for revenge. Hades had tried to kill me three times so far, with the Fury, the Minotaur, and the hellhound. It was his fault my mother had disappeared in a flash of light. Now he was trying to frame me and my dad for a theft we hadn't committed.

More angry huffs and muttering while the others looked uncomfortable.

I was ready to take him on.

Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld…

Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You're a kid. Hades is a god.

"At least he remembered." Hades grumbled while Mich already wanted to comment that this wont stop him in the fifth book, but decided that he didn't want to be assaulted by the golden table a second time since they arrived or who knows how many skeletons.

Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.

The poor guy needed to complete a quest with me so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could I ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said I was destined to fail? This was suicide.

"Uhm…actually one would call this manslaughter, in the case of suicide you can decide to do it or not, but here you have that not." Will said carefully as his ADHD jumped in without a warning.

"You know, I'm starting to see how you ended up with his son." Ares said while pointing at Hades making Will blush again, at least had he not babbled out his hobby regards poisons.

"I'm starting to agree with Clarisse's dad about this." Connor whispered to his brother.

"Look, if we know it's Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

"If I don't give my permission he can't enter." Hades grumbled, this was why he could not enter his old home except once a year.

"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—

Hades looked even more annoyed wondering what he had ever done against his siblings that they will detest him so much while said siblings shifted in they seats.

they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

The gods flinched at this.

"You're saying I'm being used."

Cue more flinching.

"Do you all feel like this?" Athena asked, but seeing the hanging heads of he demigods was answer enough.

"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."

My dad needs me.

Emotions rolled around inside me like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. I didn't know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry.

"Just settle for all of them and it will go easier." the gods didn't look who suggested it they were all staring guiltily at the ground that they children felt like they only had them as some type of object they could toy with.

Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me.

"Stupid law." Apollo growled, he had taken great risk to teach Orpheus music himself even thought he was his father.

I looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"

"I had my suspicions. As I said ... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."

"I would really like to know that prophecy." Annabeth mumbled, but she could not go against the Fate's order.

I got the feeling there was a lot he wasn't telling me about his prophecy, but I decided I couldn't worry about that right now. After all, I was holding back information too.

"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."

"Check," Chiron said.

"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

"Check."

"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."

"That's about right."

I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.

"Dad won't be happy when he gets back and sees that some cards are missing." Castor whispered to Pollux who nodded.

"The last time a satyr at some of them he spent a month looking for them before getting new ones." he whispered back.

"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.

"You don't have to go," I told him. "I can't ask that of you."

"Oh..." He shifted his hooves. "No... it's just that satyrs and underground places... well..."

"Agreed." said Hermes and Dionysus at the same time while the legacies tried not to flinch.

He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."

I felt so relieved I wanted to cry,though I didn't think that would be very heroic.

"No it isn't heroic, it shows that you are human." Mitchell said shrugging, his granddad tended to say this kind of often.

"Very true." Athena said nodding; she would not have excepted such a comment from a chid of the Love Goddess.

Grover was the only friend I'd ever had for longer than a few months.

Most people looked sad at this, but felt glad that it will change.

I wasn't sure what good a satyr could do against the forces of the dead, but I felt better knowing he'd be with me.

"All the way, G-man." I turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."

"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."

"Where?"

Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."

Those demigods who didn't know started blinking while Mitchell had now a good guess why he felt so nervous when they did a shooting there last year.

"Oh the irony that the entrance to the Underworld is there from all places." Trickster said while shaking his head.

"Why is that?" Athena asked, she liked gaining more knowledge.

"The name of the city means 'The Angels' and is also often referred to as the city of angels or also the city of stars because in the future many movie studios are built there which produce in a way plays for the large audience and many famous people who are called stars live there. It is also the leading world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, and education." Annabeth explained.

"I can see the irony now a city which is thriving with life hosts the Land of Dead down under." Artemis said.

"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—"

"NO!" come the panicked yells.

"No!" Grover shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. My mom had never taken me anywhere by plane. She'd always said we didn't have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.

Cue glares at Zeus.

"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."

Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.

"Oh, shut up you overeager Drama Queen." Hera huffed to a glowering Zeus while the others started snickering.

"Okay," I said, determined not to look at the storm. "So, I'll travel overland."

"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."

"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

There were some snickers while Annabeth blushed.

The air shimmered behind Chiron.

Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.

"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon,

"And again we see how that ended." Silena said smiling brightly making Annabeth's blush worsen.

but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."

"If you do say so yourself," I said. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?"

"Aww, you are already talking with each other using your nicknames for the other." Silena gushed again with her mother nodding eagerly.

Her cheeks colored.

"Silena, not even a word." Annabeth growled at the black haired girl.

"Do you want my help or not?"

The truth was, I did. I needed all the help I could get.

"A trio," I said. "That'll work."

"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."

Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.

"No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."

"This was the end of the chapter." Orpheus said.

"Then I would like to read." Athena said as she stood up from her throne and walked over to the blonde hero who gave her the book with a small bow to show his respect. Returning to her throne Athena flipped over to the next chapter.

To be continued…