I own nothing of Rick Riordan's works.

Chapter 3

Yes! Finally I was going on a quest! Now, maybe I would understand why Luke changed so much when he came back from his. Then, we could be really close friends again and everything would go back to normal, right?

I needed to pack, but first I ran as fast as I could to the Hermes cabin. I dashed inside, "Hey, Luke, you here?"

"Yea, right here." he said walking out of the bathroom. "What is it?"

"I thought I should tell you that I'm going on a quest! Annabeth's coming to and so is Grover. Oh no, I just realized you will be left alone." I looked down at the floor I couldn't believe that I wasn't thinking about that when I volunteered for the quest.

"What?!" he shouted.

"I volunteered for the quest Percy is leading, so did Annabeth and Grover."

"You, Annabeth and Grover are going on the quest?" he asked, his voice still raging.

"Yes," I whispered and ran out the door. There was nothing like Luke's mean stare. It makes you feel like your insides are being cut all at once.

-O-

The next morning we were all packed and ready to go. I sat waiting for everyone at Thalia's pine tree.

I never knew Thalia, she was turned into this tree the year before I came to camp. But still, this tree, the person inside it, was the only one I told everything to. I felt safe when I talked to what used to be the daughter of Zeus.

"So Thalia, I'm going on a quest. We are going to Hades to get your father's master bolt back. To be honest, I really don't think that Hades took it or even Poseidon." Thunder boomed above me. "The new camper I told you about, Percy, he's the son of Poseidon. It looks like neither Zeus nor Poseidon was able to keep his oath. I can't wait to tell you about the quest when we get back." Remembering the last line of the prophecy, I muttered. "If we come back."

I leaned back into the tree, closing my eyes. I really hoped that we'd make it back. I heard a twig snap, but just ignored it.

"Hey, Gen! Good to see you guys haven't left yet," a man's voice called. I sighed; it was Luke.

Luke's mood swings were really starting to bother me. One minute he was pissed at the world, and the next he was looking at his friends with so much emotion it was like we were dying in front of his eyes.

I felt him plop down next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. "What's wrong, Genevieve?" he asked. Great, I would have to answer him, because he only ever used my full name when he was worried, and I knew that I just couldn't stay mad at him.

"I don't know. I'm just worried, that;s all. I can feel that there is something wrong, something we don't know," I told him.

"Everything should go fine, but will you do me a favor?" he asked, his tone as serious as I've ever heard it.

"What is it?"

"Stay out of the darkness."

"Um, okay."

"Come on, the others are waiting down by the road. There's something I wanted to give to Percy," he said, pulling me up with him. I grabbed my backpack. Inside was a canteen of nectar, a Ziploc bag with ambrosia squares, clothes, and a sword (just in case I needed it). Normally I use my bow that shrinks down into a hair pin when I'm not using it. My quiver turns into a ring.

Sometimes being a child of Apollo was the greatest, he gave some of the best gifts.