When Percy surfaced on the beach, Annabeth and Grover were there waiting for them. They rose from the sand and rushed to meet him.
"Percy, are you alright!?" Grover bleated, grabbing a hold of his friend's forearm. Annabeth stared at him intensely, stormy eyes searching for any sign of weakness.
"He's fine," she announced, before Percy had a chance to answer. The boy just nodded in agreement. "Come on. Chiron said he needs to talk to you when you wake up."
Percy nodded again, then asked, "How long was I in the water for?"
"A few hours. Chiron set up a watch, switching every hour- it just happened to be our turn. Now, hurry up. Whatever he wanted to talk to you about, it seemed urgent."
"Ah, Mr. Jackson," Chiron greeted when the trio walked into the room. "How are you feeling?"
"Perfectly fine." Aged eyes flitted over Percy's face, and the son of Poseidon unconsciously hardened his gaze. "Don't expect an apology for my actions earlier." Annabeth elbowed him in the side, and he snapped a glare at her, one so harsh she took a step back and turned her face to the side.
Chiron frowned a bit. "No, I did not expect one. It would be unreasonable, considering the circumstances. However, I will not stand in your way anymore. There is just one thing you must do."
"Whatever it is, I'll do it," Percy said instantly. He himself was a bit unnerved by how devoted he was to getting his mother back, but chalked it up to his longing for a proper relationship with his family. The one he'd had in his previous life left much to be desired.
Chiron chuckled a bit nervously. "I warn you against being so eager to undertake unknown tasks in the future, Percy. Such things are often a trick." Percy's eyes narrowed, and the centaur decided to get to the point. "You must visit the Oracle."
"He's getting a quest!?" Annabeth suddenly exploded, flushing a bit when all attention turned to her. She rallied herself, though. "You said it wouldn't happen, Chiron!"
"Things change, Annabeth," he admonished gently. "Lord Zeus himself has appointed this quest. Now, if you'll kindly take Percy up to the Oracle? I'll explain everything afterwards- provided he's still sane."
The air smelled of mildew and rotted wood. The floorboards creaked under his feet, and Percy wondered if he would fall through. There were spoils of war littering the place; on shelves, tables, and armor stands, each piece labeled and dated. Percy ignored them all, though, focusing on the corpse on the far side of the attic.
The shriveled body was sitting on a three-legged stool, vaguely identifiable as a female. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, several beaded necklaces, and a headband over long, greasy, black hair. The skin on her face was thin and leathery, pulled tightly over her skull. The eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles.
Undeterred by the grotesque sight, Percy approached the body. Chiron had spoken of the Oracle as if it were a person, and this husk was the closest thing to a person that he could see.
When he was halfway across the attic, the carcass sat up straight. The mouth of the Oracle dropped open, and a green mist began pouring out of its mouth like water, coiling thickly on the floor. The sight was accompanied by the sound of hissing.
"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."
"What must I do to save my mother's soul?"
The mist twisted and curled, rising up to form a rough silhouette. It molded together into a very familiar shape; an enormously tall woman with pale hair, a flawless face, and blank eyes. Percy recoiled.
"Lady Maria!?" he shouted, jaw loose from shock. That was when he noticed the bonnet framing her head, and the thick shawl draped over her shoulders. "No… The Plain Doll...?" The apparition smiled gently at him, before she began to speak.
"You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.
You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.
You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end."
A shiver went down Percy's spine, and he knew that the words were important. This must be the prophecy Annabeth was talking about earlier. He burned it into his mind as the Plain Doll stepped closer to him, a hand reaching for his face. Her long, delicate fingers brushed against his cheek, wooden joints visible where the knuckles would be on an actual person. She was surprisingly solid, for a mist construct, and Percy felt something deep within him settle. He closed his eyes and absentmindedly nuzzled into her hand.
"It is nice to see you again, Good Hunter."
Percy didn't respond; he was too busy savoring the sound of her voice, her exotic accent rolling over his ears like a soft embrace. He almost keened mournfully when she withdrew her hand, but choked on the noise when a heavy blow knocked him off his feet. Percy flew backwards, landing hard on the floor. He opened his eyes, and came face to face with the Beast of Father Gascoigne.
The bandages wrapped around its face could not hide the malice in its glare, and before he could even attempt to rise from the ground, a heavy fist slammed against his stomach like a sledgehammer, folding Percy in half and forcing all the air out of his lungs. Clawed fingers wrapped around his throat, constricting his windpipe before he could inhale. Percy struggled for all he was worth, scrabbling at the massive hand, but back in Yharnam, he had never been strong enough to overwhelm a Beast in a contest of strength. Becoming a demigod didn't seem to change much. The Beast leaned down, slobber dripping out of its gaping maw, jagged teeth slick with saliva. However, rather than biting Percy's head clean off his shoulders, it began to speak.
The streets of Yharnam, drowned in crimson flood.
Escape found only in the jaws of Pale Blood.
Be quick to silence the treacherous scream,
Lest you be forever trapped in this frightful Dream!
With a final snarl, the Beast leapt to its feet, and stomped on Percy's chest, sending him through the trapdoor he'd landed on after the initial assault. It swung open under him, hinges squealing in protest at the rough treatment, and Percy went tumbling down the steps. He ended up face-down on the carpeted floor, panting harshly.
"Percy!?"
"Dude, what the heck!?"
Annabeth and Grover surrounded him, talking over each other and pulling him to his feet. The blonde was the first to notice the purple bruises on his neck. She prodded them with feather-light touches.
"Percy... What happened up there?" she asked slowly. The raven-haired boy heaved a few more breaths, before raising his head, flashing the girl a feral grin.
"I have received a prophecy."
"West, eh?" Chiron mused, tapping a finger against his bearded chin The four were sitting at the round table on the porch of the Big House. "I fear my suspicions may have been confirmed."
"What suspicions?" Annabeth asked instantly. Being the daughter of Athena, she seemed loath to be ignorant of anything, as shown by her repeated attempts to weedle answers out of Percy regarding his skills.
Chiron held up a hand, calming her. "First, an explanation. The situation in Olympus is… Tense, for lack of a better word, since-"
"Lord Zeus believes my father has stolen his symbol of power."
Chiron blinked. "Yes, indeed. How did you know that, Mr. Jackson?"
"A prophetic dream and a Nereid."
"A servant in Poseidon's court? When did you- ah, during your impromptu swim, I suppose? No matter, you are correct, Mr. Jackson. Lord Zeus' Master Bolt has indeed gone missing, and he believes your father is responsible. However, due to the Ancient Laws, the gods are unable to directly steal another's symbol of power. Thus, such an act would have to be accomplished via proxy-"
"And Lord Zeus believes I am that proxy," Percy finished. "Olympus hangs above the Empire State Building, and I have been in New York for my entire life. My father could have, theoretically, sent me to steal the bolt at any time. When did the theft occur, Chiron?"
"A few months ago, after the Winter Solstice. Every year, around that time, the year-rounders take a field trip of sorts to Olympus. The bolt was discovered missing shortly afterwards. Originally, Lord Zeus believed it was one of the campers who had been on the Mount, but now that Poseidon has claimed you publicly, you are his biggest suspect. He had Athena collect intel on you, discovering that you were, indeed, in the state at the time. With modern-day means of transportation, it would have been the work of hours for you to travel from Yancy Academy to the Empire State Building by car, sneak onto Olympus, steal the bolt, and return to school before anyone noticed you."
Percy hummed thoughtfully. "And Lord Zeus has so little faith in his security system that he believes a twelve-year-old can fool it?"
Chiron averted his eyes sheepishly. "Well, about that… Olympus does not exactly have a security system."
"You're joking."
The old horse sighed. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Jackson. The gods never believed that anyone would be so bold as to waltz into Olympus and steal one of their symbols of powers from right under their nose. They have become… Complacent. The last major battle they were in was a little less than three thousand years ago, so I suppose it is understandable."
Percy just shook his head. "Well, that aside, the quest. Where, exactly, must I go?"
"Think, Mr. Jackson. Who stands to profit should Lord Zeus and Poseidon go to war?"
Percy looked thoughtful for a moment. "...Ares, perhaps? He is the God of War- a war of this scale would likely inflate his power to unseen proportions." Chiron blinked.
"An… Interesting take, Mr. Jackson, but not quite what I was talking about. No, I refer to Hades, God of the Dead, Lord of the Underworld. Hades, who was cast out of Olympus and confined to Erebus for millennia. If Lord Zeus and Poseidon indeed go to war, then Olympus will be split down the middle, each of the gods picking a side, and when the actual battle begins, all of humanity will suffer. Imagine, if you will, the very forces of nature pitted against each other, in a conflict of such a grand scale that it makes the Trojan War seem like a water balloon fight. Millions- nay, billions will perish, swelling the ranks of the dead near infinitely. And then, when one side wins, and the dust settles, Hades will ride out and conquer all that is left, overthrowing the shambles of Olympus, and dragging the world into an eternal era of darkness."
The three preteens sat in a stunned silence, amazed by the intensity of Chiron's story, before Percy finally clears his throat.
"Well, that sounds… Bad. How are we to stop Hades, then? Is there a way to reach the Underworld?"
"There is, actually. The entrance is located in Los Angeles, in a building called D.O.A Recording Studios, short for Dead On Arrival. It is somewhere on the west side of the city, though the exact address is impossible to pin down. It shifts slightly, every now and then, so you'll need to do a bit of searching. You'll need to pay the gatekeeper, Charon, a few drachmas."
"Charon? As in, the Ferryman of the Styx?" Annabeth asked, voice filled with dread.
"The same one," Chiron replied with a nod.
"We can't do that! He's gonna alert Hades as soon as he can!" Annabeth cried, hands flapping.
"Hades will know the instant any of you enter his domain. There is no point making things unnecessarily hard on yourselves by searching for obscure entrances. It is also against the Ancient Laws for any of the gods to strike at a demigod first, so you will likely not be in any danger from Hades himself. The Furies, and any other monsters he may command, though…"
"Well, the prophecy said I will retrieve find what was stolen. Then again, it also said I will fail to save what matters most, in the end," Percy finished grimly, face morphing into a harsh scowl. "The thing that matters most to me is my mother's soul. If I go to the Underworld and am unable to retrieve her, then I will return to New York and slaughter that pig, and I will do my best to make it hurt," he growled, thoroughly disturbing Grover and Annabeth, the former even leaning slightly away from him. Chiron simply raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, well, that aside, it seems you have a plan, now. Travel to Los Angeles, retrieve the Master Bolt from Hades, and return it to Lord Zeus. Now, all that is left is to choose your companions."
"How many am I allowed, and what resources will be provided?" Percy asked immediately, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"The camp store will provide a loan of ten drachmas, and the infirmary will contribute a small amount of ambrosia and nectar. Be careful, though- too much of either will burn you to ashes. I am sure you remember the sensation of being overloaded with divine energy?" Chiron asked pointedly, seemingly satisfied by Percy's jilted nod. "It is recommended that you travel with two companions. Three is a powerful number. To bring more would be to tempt Fate, and less risks being unprepared. So, any ideas, Mr. Jackson?"
"Luke and Clarisse," Percy responded instantly. Annabeth immediately began shouting angrily.
"What!? Clarisse hates you! And what about me!? I'm a daughter of Athena, I can help you more than she can! You're gonna need a lot of intelligence if you're going up against the Lord of the Dead!"
"What about you?" Percy asked nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm not going up against Hades- I'm merely traveling to the Underworld to ask a few questions."
"Are you an idiot, or do you really think it's that simple?"
"It is that simple. As Chiron said, so long as I don't attack first, then Hades will not interfere himself. Besides, if he really wanted me dead, he would have sent more than the Minotaur. I heard that he sent an entire army after Thalia Grace."
Annabeth stood, pushing her chair back with such force that it toppled over. "That's because Thalia already knew how to fight monsters, and she was damned good at it! Don't you dare compare yourself to her!" she shrieked, face red with rage.
Percy stood up himself, though much more calmly. "If that is all, Chiron? I believe I have two questmates to speak with."
The old horse, who was staring sadly at Annabeth, nodded once. Percy left the Big House, Grover trailing behind him.
"Um, are you sure it was the best idea to tick Annabeth off like that?" Grover asked hesitantly. Percy waved off his concerns.
"Irrelevant."
"No, not irrelevant, dude! She's the Counselor of the Athena Cabin for a reason! She's gonna prank you so hard you'll regret ever meeting her- seriously, just ask the Stolls." Percy just fixed Grover with a look, and the satyr flushed. "Don't say I didn't warn you…" he muttered, before changing the topic. "By the way, why didn't you, uh… Pick-?"
"Why didn't I choose you to go on the quest?" Percy cut in, noting how reluctant Grover was to outright and say it. Grover nodded, embarrassed. "No offence, Grover, but you were scared of the Minotaur. What do you think will happen if you go to the Underworld?" The curly-haired boy considered it for a moment, and paled rapidly. Percy nodded. "Exactly. Besides, you've helped me enough, getting me to Camp. Don't you have to go back out there, anyways? Satyrs help find demigods in the mortal world, I thought."
Grover shrugged. "I guess I could. Although, now that I have a Searcher's License, I don't exactly have to do that anymore."
"Searcher's License?"
"Oh, right. I guess you wouldn't know about that. Promise not to laugh?"
"Unless it's a license to search for the tastiest enchilada joint in the country, I think I'll be able to control myself," he said, lips tilting up in amusement. Grover chuckled a bit, too.
"Well, it's nothing that ridiculous. See, we satyrs look up to this one god, Pan, a son of Hermes. He's the God of Wild Places, the father of satyrs. He's also a satyr himself, according to the legends. Ever since his birth, he's been keeping the world clean, and the animals safe. Two thousand years ago, a sailor off the coast of Ephesus heard a voice crying out from the shore; tell them that the great god Pan has died. When humans heard the news, they believed it, and almost immediately began pillaging his kingdom. We satyrs, though, who had been under his protection, refused to believe he died. After all, he's a god, and more importantly, he's our god. Every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to find where he is hidden, and wake him from his slumber. If anyone can fix the mess that the world has become, it's Pan."
"So, now that you have this searcher's license, I suppose you'll be off on your journey?"
Grover nodded emphatically. "Yeah. It's been my life's dream. Both my father and my Uncle Ferdinand were Seekers, and a couple other satyrs I knew. But I'll succeed. I'll be the first Seeker to come back alive."
Percy raised a brow. "Sounds ominous. Will you have help?"
Grover grimaced. "No. It's tradition for Seekers to head out on their own. That way, if they fail, they're the only ones who have to suffer the consequences."
"Is it expected that you will fail?" Percy asked. Grover merely shrugged. "How about this; when I return from my quest, I will accompany you on your search. Me, and perhaps another person; I have it on good authority that three is the ideal number to go on a quest."
Grover stopped in his tracks. "S-Seriously? You'd actually help me?"
"Why not? You helped me get to Camp."
The satyr's mouth opened and closed a few times, before he gave up on words and merely pulled Percy into a tight hug. "You'd better survive. I could really use a hand out there."
Percy returned the gesture with equal vigor. "I'm with you all the way, G-Man." The nickname rolled off his tongue effortlessly; it looks like Percy Jackson was still there, under the oppressive memories of the Good Hunter.
"That went well," Grover said sarcastically, as he and Percy walked away from Cabin Five. The dark-haired boy's ears were still ringing from Clarisse's screaming.
"I honestly thought she would agree, despite our past disagreements."
"You might be her only chance at getting to go on a gods-ordained quest, but Clarisse is a lot like her father; she has a lot of pride, and she'll never let go of a grudge. It's probably better she isn't going- you might just end up getting stabbed in the back."
Percy considered that for a moment, before nodding in agreement. Grover had a point. Still, it was slightly annoying. She was the Counsellor of Cabin Five, and thereby likely the most skilled, or at least most experienced, child of Ares at Camp Half-Blood. It stood to reason that a child of the War God would be good backup to have in combat, no matter that Percy had beaten her before. She didn't need to be better than him, just good enough to not slow him down. It also helped that she was older, and would therefore have an easier time navigating any social situations they might get involved in during the quest. Adults were inevitably going to be slightly concerned if they found a twelve-year-old traveling across the country on his own.
"So, Luke's next, and then you'll need to find a replacement, huh?" Grover asked. Percy nodded once more.
"Make that two replacements…" Grover muttered, sitting next to Percy at Poseidon's table in the pavilion.
Percy sighed. "This is more difficult than I expected. Truthfully, I'm not sure why I thought anyone would jump at the chance to risk their life on a quest that might not even succeed."
Luke had been adamant, though apologetic, that he would not accompany Percy. I've had my fill of being an errand boy for the gods, the young man had said, bitterness dripping from each word. He'd been on a quest before, he explained, to retrieve an Apple of Immortality from the Garden of the Hesperides.
It was how he'd gotten the scar on his face, running from the bottom of his right eye down to his chin. The beast guarding the tree, the hundred-headed dragon Ladon, had gotten a lucky strike on him. Luke took the claw that had gouged his skin, but he'd ultimately failed his quest, and was scorned by the gods. His own father, Hermes, had merely given him worthless consolations when he returned empty-handed.
"Well, I know one person who might volunteer," Grover said, a hint of amusement lacing his tone.
Percy rolled his eyes, then glanced at the empty space next to Grover. "I suppose I don't have many choices. Although, she is only one person, and Chiron recommended a total of three people."
"Well…" Grover trailed off nervously. "I could… Maybe… Be bribed with tin cans?" He looked terrified at the mere thought of traveling to the Underworld, but his offer made Percy smile.
"I'm sure we can come to an arrangement," he replied playfully. "What about you, Annabeth? Will I need to bribe you, as well?" He stared pointedly at the air on Grover's left. Neither boy was surprised when it shimmered, and the blonde-haired girl was revealed.
"How long have you known I was here?" she asked, frustrated.
"Since you followed us out of the Big House," Grover answered. Percy nodded in confirmation.
Annabeth growled. "I hate you so much," she snapped, glaring at the Son of Poseidon.
Percy raised a brow. "Will you go, or not?"
The Daughter of Athena took a deep breath, centering herself and calming her temper. Momentarily, at least.
"I'm in."
Fixed it from galleons to drachmas lmao. Thanks to the people who reviewed and mentioned it.
Dis co rd server: dis co rd . gg/gg Xh ep pQ