Chapter Four: The Orical.
Hey everyone and welcome to another chapter in the awesome story hahaha! Colin gets his quest prophecy here.
The next day wasn't good at all. I woke up alone and decided to pay Lou a visit in the infirmary. As I walked through the camp, I could tell by the looks on some of the campers faces that yesterday's attack shook them up pretty good. The fact that we could be attacked again whenever The Skeleton King felt like it didn't help the matter. I got to the infirmary and stopped before I got to Lou and listened in on the conversation that she was having with Albaster.
"I'm so sorry Lou." He told her.
"It's not your fault, he came for Colin." She said reassuringly.
"How do you think he knew that he was here?" He asked her. "Darkness follows me where ever I go. I should not have came here. I'm putting you all in danger." He insisted.
"No I- Petros, you do realise that it is rude to eavesdrop don't you?" She shouted over to me. Albaster stood up and opened the curtains to reveal me. He stared at me and walked off.
"Sorry I-" I began to apologise.
"It's okay." She reassured me. "Chiron informed me of what I am to do once I'm better." She told me.
"Yea." I said.
She put her arm out and pulled me closer to her so only I could hear.
"Listen to me Petros and listen good because I won't say this again. Find Percy and tell him Lou said it's time. By the time I recover, it will be too late. Now go." She told me.
I was a little confused at first, but soon got over it and went out to look for Percy. I found him over at the archery range which was rather odd because he was a terrible shot. He was with Annabeth, who I guessed was training her archery skills.
"Hey Colin, how you been?" Then Annabeth punched him. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." He quickly tried to save himself.
"It doesn't matter, Lou said that it's time. Any idea what it's time for?" I asked him.
Annabeth stopped shooting and exchanged looks with Percy who nodded at her. She led me to what they called The big House. Which was essentially, well a mansion out of the way of the rest of the camp. This is where Chiron hung out when he was in his spare time.
"Right, go inside to the very top of the house. Speak to the Orical there and get your quest. Then come back to me and we'll talk some more." She told me, I could tell by looking at her face that she was generally concerned for me and didn't really want me to go inside at all. I walked inside and slowly made my way up the creaky stairs, I climbed up some other stares into the pitch blackness of the attic. As I walked forward candles flickered on around me and they revealed the Orical. He presence was enough alone to overwhelm me and my brain started to go a hundred miles per hour. I nearly went to my knees, but I used all of my willpower to stay stood up and I looked at her. Her eyes glowed blue and she said in a ghostly voice.
"Who dares to wake me?"
"Colin Petros." I said and my mouth went dry. "I'm here about my quest for The Skeleton King." I told her.
"Ah yes. The Skeleton King lives in Mount Ida and he has so much power that not even the mighty power of the lord of the skies can stop him from achieving his goal." She told me.
"Do I... have a, a, a-" I had lost my words, I felt like I was dyeing a slow and painful death.
"Ah yes the prophecy of the quest for the loved one. Three shall go on a quest to save a loved one. Only two will return, the other left to fate. At the hands of The Skeleton King." Then everything suddenly went dark again and I felt like someone had just stabbed me through the gut.
I slowly walked back outside and saw Annabeth waiting for me looking worried.
"What did she tell you?" She asked me.
"I'll tell you all together, get Percy and meet me in the infirmary." I told her.
I walked over to the infirmary and thought about what I had just heard. Who would be the ones to go with me. More importantly, who would be the one left to fate. If anyone could know what it all meant, Lou would be the one to talk to. When I got there Percy and Annabeth were already there talking to Lou, then she saw me and smiled.
"Hey Colin, what did she tell you?" She asked me with a weak voice.
I repeated all that the Orical had told me and everyone looked shocked.
"Three shall go to saved a loved one. That must be referencing to You three." Annabeth started.
"No, I am not fit to travel or fight, and if you are to save the camp you must go now and travel to Mount Ida. The third will-" She was then interrupted by Clarisse who had apparently been listening in.
"I'll be the third." She said.
"But you'll die." Percy told her.
"The Orical states that three shall go and two will return. Any one of us could die Percy and we are the best at swordplay in the camp." She argued.
"Okay, I'll look after Lou and stay at camp. Travel to Los Angeles, find the King and defeat him." Annabeth stated.
So we all nodded in agreement and Lou smiled at me and wished me luck. Percy led Clarisse and I out of the camp and through the woods to the road below. This was it, no turning back now. No protection and no one that we can trust but each other.
Thank you all for reading this chapter and I hope that you all enjoyed it. See you in the next chapter and don't forget that you can always leave me a review. :)