Author's Note:
Hey! Fancy meeting you here. Here I am again, another chapter (but mostly just filler… important filler). So tell me, what did people think of those prelude things? Did you have a favourite? Were you indifferent? Did you hate all of them? Let me know.
Just know that nothing is quite yet set in stone for those. They are liable to change between now and then, then being whenever they're uploaded as full works.
Another bit of news, my sister is travelling across Europe for the month. Left start of December, back 3rd of January.
Now, I'd planned to have maybe another four or five chapters of camp life for Percy… but I think this is the exact reason why my updates have been so much slower lately. I think of what I've got in store ahead, and I go 'yes, that's exciting! I can't wait to write it!', but then I go to write… and I just… can't write.
I right all this filler and inside I'm screaming 'BORRREDDDD'. So you know what? No unnecessary filler, this chapter will be shorter.
Really, really shorter.
And possibly the next one, but they will be the last two filler chapters before we get back into the serious plot stuff.
I just. Can't. Write. That. Much. Filler.
So apologies if seems a little bit rushed. This is one of the reasons I look forward to writing Danger Actual. In that, I am going to give no cares, no filler. I can just going to get straight into the gritty and the fun stuff.
Chapter 19
The Boy who would be Oracle
The spear swung high and he leaned back low. Carrying momentum she turned with outstretched leg, trying and almost succeeding in tripping him up. He jabbed forward with a quickstep while she barred her spear across the knife's destination, spinning her weapon and easily flicking the knife through the dirt and snow.
Half a second later, the tip of the spear was held to his throat. He was panting, even sweating a little. She wasn't even out of breath.
"Well, you're improving. That was about six seconds longer than normal Percy." She said.
"Six seconds, yay. Reckon I'm ready to take on a Titan yet Thals?" He replied sarcastically.
"Oh you'll never be ready for a Titan… that's my job."
"Right, remind me, so if that Mark on your hand gives you the power to do that, is it possible you'll accidentally turn me to ashes?"
Thalia laughed a little. Not much more than a chuckle, but a little. "Hmph… nah, I'm normal now. Don't know how to turn it on."
"Turn it on?"
"It's like a light switch. Right now it's off… and I don't know how to change that when the time comes."
"You'll figure it out eventually. I mean, hopefully not at the last minute, but eventually."
Thalia frowned, her gaze trailing off into the distance. Without turning or moving, she spoke to Percy. "Chiron wanted to see you. Don't know about what. He should be up at the Big House."
Thalia seemed to be troubled about… something, so Percy just left it at "Right then, see you soon," and left off to the Big House.
What was it, his fifth day here? The last few days had been semi-uneventful, at least compared to that bow he'd found sitting there in his room. At first he didn't think much of it, but now it seemed odd.
If Zoë wanted him to have it, why didn't she give it to him with the dagger? She forgot? Percy doubted that. And was it really like a goddess to go and deliver something themselves? He hadn't known them for long, so he couldn't say for sure on that front, but if it were him on the other side of the coin, so to speak, he would've sent it down with Bianca who was due to show up in the next few days.
Though he considered practising with it, taking it out in plain sight of others felt wrong somehow. So Percy committed himself to practising melee and knife-work first.
When he arrived at the Big House porch, Chiron was there in horse-form, looking out over the Camp, vaguely looking concerned.
A lot of people seemed to be troubled today.
"You, uh, asked of me… Chiron?"
Chiron snapped out of his gaze. "Ah yes, Percy my boy. Tell me, how have you been finding the Camp?"
"Uh, it's been fine. Pretty good actually. Is that… the reason you asked me up here?"
"No, it's not. It's come to my attention… that Lord Apollo seems to think that you would be fit to become the next Oracle. Were you aware of this?"
"Yeah, he mentioned it a few times."
"Perseus… I feel you must be, properly informed all that involves. If Apollo has told you of his plans, then no doubt he mentioned that Oracles have only ever been female?"
"Yes. The first he mentioned he said 'the first male Oracle', or something like it."
"Well, that is because the spirit of the first Oracle is female. She has never even tried to except a male host before."
"Well… wait, what?"
"Hmm… just as I thought. You're not aware of all the details. Come inside, we'll have to talk a while."
"And finally, up these stairs, you'll find the uh, current Oracle. Her situation is… not normal, just so you know."
The stairs leading up to the attic were obviously not fit for a horse or a wheelchair, so Percy would be visiting her by himself. What Chiron meant by 'her situation', he had no idea.
The idea that there was already an Oracle at Camp hadn't crossed his mind for whatever reason, but now it seemed obvious. There had always been an Oracle, so why should it be any different now?
Percy climbed the stairs, undeterred and unconcerned. Except, well… he probably should've been.
The very first thing he saw when his head poked into the attic was the dead and shrivelled corpse of… someone… sitting in a chair casually next to the attic window.
He looked around the room, seeing no other doors to anywhere, and even quietly called out, but received no answer. He barely looked at the various spoils of war strewn about the room, sitting on shelves, behind glass cases.
He slowly stepped towards the pseudo-mummy.
"No… it… can't be…"
Standing right in front of the corpse, he just couldn't bring himself to believe this was the Oracle he'd heard about. Or at the very least, an Oracle.
"Uhhh… hi?" Percy tried asking. "So, um… you're supposed to be the… Oracle, right?"
I'm talking to a corpse a centaur hides in the attic… that doesn't sound creepy in the slightest.
The empty hollow sockets of the mummy's face stared blankly at him, as if looking into his mind.
Yep, I'm leaving now.
That night Percy had a few things to think about before sleep would approach him. Of course they had to do with what he'd learned from Chiron about the Oracle, who he was supposed to become.
So, it wouldn't technically be him giving prophecies.
That was a pro. He didn't have to worry about actually divining the future or anything.
It would be the ancient spirit of the first Oracle from Delphi sitting inside him, ready to kick Percy out of the driver's seat and blurt out a dangerous or doomsday prophecy at any moment.
That was a con. The idea made him feel sick. He wasn't a fan of being possessed. Not that he had any experience in the matter.
He'd still glimpse the future on his own, in his dreams like he started doing not too long ago.
That was… well he actually wasn't sure whether or not that was a good or bad thing. Sure, it had its benefits, and had helped on occasion back on the quest, but it was another thing that unsettled him and was kind of… unwanted.
He couldn't go out on any quests, or mission, or whatever to actually help the demigods. He'd have to stay here in safety for who knows how long, least the Camp lost him or the spirit.
That was con… mostly. Sure, he wouldn't die of horrible agony, but he actually wanted to go out there and help Thalia, and Grover, and all the rest.
And he had to remain… what had Chiron called it? …Celebrate? No, celibate, that was it. Long story short, no romantic relationships, ever. Now it wasn't as if that ship had already sailed, he still qualified. But… it also unsettled him a little. He hadn't ever been in a relationship like that before and it wasn't something he often thought of or had time to think of, but still… what if he met someone he really liked?
The idea sounded embarrassing but it warmed his heart a little, so he didn't really care.
So that was… a con then?
Yeah, definitely a con.