Chapter 11: I Am Offered a Quest
3rd Person P.O.V.
"I Am Offered a Quest," read Leo.
The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.
Poseidon and Annabeth smiled.
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.
All of the demigods apart from Thalia, Jason, Nico, and Annabeth smiled, thinking it would be fun to have a cabin all to their selves. Jason, Nico, and Thalia sighed, knowing that it was miserable, despite what one might expect. Annabeth, however, just stared off into space, remembering the conversation that she had had with Percy, where she found out that having a cabin all to himself was miserable, despite what she had previously thought.
And I was absolutely miserable.
All of the demigods, who thought it would be great, looked shocked.
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.
Poseidon looked down sadly, glad that his son knew that he was his father, but sad that Percy had to feel like that because of it.
Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back.
The Stolls looked down, because they were, indeed, talking about it behind his 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.
All of the demigods, minus Jason, Leo, and Piper, winced, remembering the invasion of camp by Kronos, and the two people who died during the fight. They all glanced at Mr. D and Apollo, wondering how they were going to take the news that Castor and Lee Fletcher died.
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.
"You mean he was happy to bruise you up in the process…" grumbled Connor under his breath, and he received a glare, from Annabeth, for his comment, but he didn't care.
"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."
A few of the demigods winced, knowing how much torture that would be on Percy, especially when he was new to camp.
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.
Annabeth looked down, ashamed at the way she treated Percy at the time, especially how badly she reacted to finding out that his father was Poseidon.
After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest ... Poseidon? ... Dirty rotten ... Got to make a plan …"
Athena smiled at her daughter, happy that, at least for a little while, she was treating the sea spawn the way every sea spawn should be treated by her children.
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.
"Why didn't he just tell me that then! I would have been happy to oblige and pound his face in!" yelled Clarisse, while Chris and Ares smiled at her, and all of the other demigods rolled their eyes at her.
I knew somebody at camp resented me, 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. The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.
BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER
FREAK CAR ACCIDENT
BY EILEEN SMYTHE
Everyone in the room looked down, remembering what had happened during that "accident."
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 Stolls and Leo grinned at that.
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.
Everyone in the room, even Ares, for he knew it was wrong to treat a woman like that, scowled at the lie and began thinking of ways to torture Gabe.
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.
The phone number was circled in black marker.
All of the demigods, except Piper, Leo, and Jason, had the same thought Luke.
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.
Poseidon looked down sadly, angry at himself for not helping his son through his tough time, and even though he knew that Zeus' law forbade him to, he felt like he should have still done something, and he let both Percy Sally down.
That night, I had my worst dream yet.
All of the demigods grimaced, hating the constant dreams that they had.
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.
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. 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.
Everyone looked at Zeus and Poseidon, while some of them smirked, thinking about how they were wrestlers in the dream.
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.
"Hate it when that happens…" grumbled Thalia.
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.
Zeus huffed, while a couple people chuckled, thinking about Zeus as a kindergartner, because he did act like on half of the time.
The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.
I yelled, Stop it! Stop fighting!
The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice.
Come down, little hero, the voice crooned. Come down!
Everyone glanced at Hades, who just sighed.
Nico, however, glared at everyone, thinking about how his dad always got the blame for things, and hating how it had also affected his life.
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.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, glad the dream was over.
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.
Everyone looked at Zeus, who was busying looking at his shoes.
I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold.
Everyone looked at Grover, who just waved back to a few of them, which caused everyone to smile a little bit.
"Come in?"
Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you."
Everyone looked at Dionysus, and some of the demigods groaned.
"Why?"
"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."
Dionysus, who was busy playing Pacman on a Nintendo DS, but still paying attention, paused his game, and glanced at Poseidon who was glaring at him.
Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.
"You and your father…" grumbled Zeus, under his breath.
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.
"It is…" grumbled both Zeus and Hades under their breaths.
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.
Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.
Everyone glanced at Zeus, who just shrugged.
"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."
"Or when Dad is angry," said Thalia with a sigh, while Zeus gave his daughter a somewhat hurt and curious expression, both
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."
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 except Dionysus glared at Zeus.
At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.
Everyone glanced at Zeus again.
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.
"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."
Poseidon and Annabeth glared at Dionysus.
I waited.
"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."
"Barnacle-Beard aye? You've been stealing your insults from Owl-Head over here," said Poseidon, to Dionysus, as he gestured to Athena.
Dionysus just shrugged and said, "It seemed to work," in response.
Athena, however, glared at Poseidon for the nick-name he gave her, but didn't say anything because she didn't wish to cause more tension between her and her daughter, by fighting with her daughter's boyfriend's father.
A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.
Thalia and Jason sighed at their father's dramatic tendencies.
"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.
Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.
The Stolls both smirked at Grover, which caused him to glare back at them.
"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."
"And because you're scared of Poseidon," stated Artemis as everyone looked over at Poseidon, who had an expression that showed he was thinking of millions of ways to kill and/or torture Dionysus.
All of the other Gods and Goddesses, bar Hera, were also glaring at Dionysus, angry at him for thinking about hurting their children/hunters.
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.
All of the demigods had a small smile on their lips, thinking about how much Chiron cared for them.
"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."
Poseidon's glare hardened at that, and Dionysus tried his best to ignore the glare, but it was obvious he was having trouble by the way he was leaning away from Poseidon.
"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. 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."
Poseidon paled at the thought of what his son was about to do and how much danger he was going to be in.
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.
Dionysus smiled at the mention of his beloved plant, and then frowned, remembering that even though he could grow them, it would just turn into a disaster.
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.
All of the demigods smiled, thinking about how Chiron always beats Mr. D and that Mr. D most likely left at that time because he knew he was destined to lose that game anyways.
Mr. D just sighed, wishing for the day that he beats Chiron in pinochle.
"Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"
Annabeth and Poseidon winced at the mention of the creature and how Percy was almost killed.
Nico smiled, thinking about Mrs. O'Leary.
Just hearing the name made me shudder.
Chiron probably wanted me to say, Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast.
A couple people chuckled at that.
But I didn't feel like lying.
Connor, Travis, and Hermes all had quizzical looks on their faces, but none of them made a comment.
"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."
All of the Goddesses and Piper gave the book a weird look, not knowing that there were men that existed who would admit that they were scared.
"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."
All of the demigods, including Jason, Leo, and Piper who had heard stories about some of the beings he had faced, had sad expressions on their faces, though some had small smiles thinking about how Percy was there to defeat all of those worse monsters.
"Done ... with what?"
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"
I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.
All of the demigods, minus Annabeth, gave Grover strange looks, not believing he actually wanted to go on that quest.
He said, "At the time, I needed to go on a quest so that I could get my searcher's license, not I'm fine not leaving to go on any quests," in response.
"Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."
Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."
Clarisse, Leo, Piper, Jason, Annabeth, and Grover sighed, remembering how hard it was to figure out all of the details on all of their quests.
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.
Everyone looked at Poseidon and Zeus, who were busy glaring at each other.
"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"
Those who knew what was stolen exchanged nervous glances, fearing what Zeus was going to do when he found out.
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. "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."
"I knew it," Grover said.
"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.
"Yes, hush satyr," joked Conner, which caused Grover to glare at them.
"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"
A couple of the demigods still gave him curious glances, wondering why he would ever want to go on a quest, even though he already told them why earlier.
"Only the Oracle can determine."
Jason, Leo, and Piper smiled, thinking of Rachel, while all of the other demigods winced, remembering the mummy that was the Oracle.
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."
All of the Deities', who didn't already know about the theft, eyes widened at the statement, while Zeus leapt out of his throne, yelling, "WHO STOLE IT!" at the demigods, while his bolt appeared in his hands.
All of the demigods, except Thalia and Jason, cowered away from Zeus.
"YOU'RE HAVE TO READ, IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT DAD!" screamed Thalia at her father, while glaring at him.
All of the Gods and Goddesses were watching Zeus at the ready, in case they needed to defend their children / Oracle / satyr / son's girlfriend, from Zeus' wrath.
Zeus, realizing that his daughter was right and wanting to avoid having to fight the other Gods and Goddesses, in case he did something rash because of his feelings at the moment, huffed and sat back down, but not without glaring fiercely at the book.
All of the other occupants of Olympus gave a sigh of relief, and either walked back to their original spots, or sat back in their thrones.
I laughed nervously. "A what?"
"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."
Zeus smiled smugly at all of the other Gods and Goddesses, while Leo and Piper gulped, while looking at Zeus' bolt, which he was still holding onto because of the fact that he knew it would get stolen and he wanted to keep it near him, in fear.
"Oh."
Thalia, Nico, and Annabeth all smiled, thinking about the eloquent answer that Percy gave to most statements like the one Chiron just gave.
"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."
Zeus would have normally given the other Gods and Goddesses smug looks, but with the knowledge that his weapon would go missing, he just glared at the book and held onto his bolt tightly.
Everyone else in the room, who, were expecting Zeus to give a smug smile, gave him curious looks when they noticed him glaring at the book.
Piper and Leo, however, just looked at the bolt and Zeus in fear and made a mental note not to offend Zeus too badly, or he might just use the bolt on them.
"And it's missing?"
"Stolen," Chiron said.
Zeus' grip on his lightning bolt tightened, while a couple of the occupants of Olympus sent him wary glances.
"By who?"
"By whom," Chiron corrected.
Athena and a few of the demigods smiled at that.
Once a teacher, always a teacher.
My mouth fell open.
"Just like when he looks at you," whispered Rachel to Annabeth, which caused Annabeth to blush a little, and smile, even though Percy hadn't seen her in a long time.
"At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks.
"Of course he does," said Poseidon, voice dripping with sarcasm, as he glared at Zeus, who glared just a fiercely back.
During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument.
All of the Gods and Goddesses sighed, while the two brothers glared at each other.
The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' etcetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon.
"Oh course you did. I doubt, however, that you had any actual proof." said Poseidon, while glaring at Zeus, who just glared back at him and said nothing else.
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."
Zeus and Poseidon continued to glare at each other.
"But I didn't—"
"Yes, he didn't take it, yet you still blame me," said Poseidon, while glaring even harder at Zeus, who, in return, glared back more fiercely than before.
"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.
"You're crazy," said Demeter, to Zeus.
"What! It does make sense! Kinda…" responded Zeus, finishing off his statement unsure as to what his future self was doing.
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."
A couple of the Olympians just shook their heads at Zeus.
"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"
Thunder shook the building and Zeus was glaring daggers at the book.
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.
All of the demigods shivered, either remembering what it looked like, or because of the mental image.
"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."
"C-word," snorted Travis while laughing.
"Shut up," said Katie while smacking him upside the head to make sure he got the message. Wow, his hair is soooo soft! Thought Katie, which caused Aphrodite to look at her and smile mischievously, and Katie to blush.
"Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. 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.
Everyone stared at the book with dumbfounded expressions, not believing Chiron actually thought Percy would remember the question.
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.
Hermes shook his head sadly, disappointed in Percy's inability to steal things.
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?"
Most of the demigods and Athena stared at the book with wide eyes, while Poseidon and Annabeth both smiled proudly, because they both knew that Percy was smarter than he let on.
"Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. 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!"
"You are more than 'Just a kid'" said Chris, only loud enough for the demigods to hear. Those who heard all nodded their heads in agreement, thinking about all he accomplished, while Annabeth also thought about all the things that she loved about him, which did indeed, make him more than 'Just a kid.'"
"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 chuckled at Grover's use of words, while Zeus looked at Poseidon like he did indeed have a twist in his toga.
As the last line was read, Jason received another memory, The Romans wore togas to… to… Senate Meetings! Mine and Reyna's were different because we were Praetors… I think. He also wore a smile because the image that came to his mind, when the memory was restored, was of he and Reyna leading a debate in a Senate Meeting, and he couldn't help but smile, remembering how she looked cute in the purple toga.
Piper, after seeing Jason with the same expression he was wearing now, many times, knew that Jason had just gotten another memory back, and couldn't help the smile that graced her lips, happy that Jason was remembering his past, even if that past could put their relationship in jeopardy.
"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"
"No, I did not do such a thing, because I'm not power-hungry like you are," said Poseidon to Zeus, who was about to retort, but knew he cared about his power, even maybe too much, so he just settled to glare at his elder brother.
Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style.
Poseidon and most of the Olympians nodded their heads in agreement, even Athena, because even though she despised the Sea God, she, being the Goddess of Wisdom, knew that Poseidon was not a thief, and that Hermes was most likely the only God who would steal the bolt.
Wait a second! Hermes – steal… It could have been one of his sons who stole it, though it's doubtful that they stole it for their father. Another immortal must have forced or tricked the Hermes child into stealing the bolt for him or her! The demigods most likely know, but they will not tell, so all that can be done is to wait and see if this hypothesis is correct.
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. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense.
Said sisters glanced at each other and smiled, knowing that each other knew how hard it was to make those two see any sense at all.
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?"
A few of the occupants of Olympus shuddered, while Ares smiled evilly, evoking many glances his way.
"Bad?" I guessed.
All of the demigods who knew Percy smiled reminiscently, while Annabeth's eyes were glossy
"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."
"Bad," I repeated.
All of the demigods smirked at Percy's response, even Piper, Jason, and Leo.
"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," thought both Poseidon and Annabeth.
It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.
Many of the Gods and Goddesses stared at Zeus, who found his shoes to be quite interesting at the moment.
I had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me. I was furious.
Poseidon would have smiled because he was on the same wavelength as his son, but the circumstances facing his son were grave at best, so he opted to remain monotone.
"So I have to find the stupid bolt," I said. "And return it to Zeus."
"My bolt is not stupid," mumbled 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?"
Those who did not know where the bolt was all had quizzical looks on their, faces, while the demigods who knew exactly what happened to the bolt tried their best to keep their features passive.
"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."
At the mention of his Oracle, Apollo had frustration written all over his face.
Hades was shifting uncomfortably, trying not to meet any of the other deities' eyes.
Hermes had a look of extreme sadness, remembering clearly what had happened to May.
Leo, Piper, and Jason all had confused looks on their faces, but just chose to wait for the reading to continue, figuring they would receive their answers soon.
"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"
All of the demigods grumbled under their breath, "Yes, why can't you?" or other phrases with the same meaning, while not meeting the gazes of their parents.
"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."
I swallowed. "Good reason."
A couple of the demigods who knew Percy chuckled at this.
"You agree then?"
I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly.
For a millisecond, Poseidon glared at Grover, but immediately removed the glare, because he was too focused on worrying about his son's safety.
Easy for him. I was the one Zeus wanted to kill.
This statement caused Poseidon and Zeus to glare at each other once again, but no words were exchanged.
"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."
Thalia rolled her eyes thinking, Great words on encouragement Chiron."
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.
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. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things—severed 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.
Apollo smiled at the mention of one of his favorite events from that time period, while Hera and Ares scowled, both loathing the "Peace-lovers" and non-normal people.
By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy.
All of the demigods, minus Leo, Jason, and Piper grimaced at the mention of the grotesque figure that they had all had the misfortune of seeing at one point or another.
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."
"She has," thought everyone except Jason, Piper, and Leo.
Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. 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.
Artemis rolled her eyes at her brother's overly dramatic opening phrase for the Oracle.
I wanted to say, No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bath room. But I forced myself to take a deep breath.
Most of the occupants of the room chuckled at the thought.
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. 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.
Annabeth and Clarisse both nodded, knowing what the mummy was like when it gave a prophecy to you when you were alone with the mummy.
I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"
"Million-Dollar question!" exclaimed Hermes, while most of the males chuckled and the females rolled their eyes at him.
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.
All of the occupants of Olympus snarled at the mention of the fowl excuse of a human being.
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.
Hades immediately paled, or somehow got paler than he already was, and many of the Gods and Goddesses sent glances at him, while Zeus and Poseidon both glared at him. Both brothers, however, decided to wait and not be too rash in their actions because of the off chance that it wasn't Hades.
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 had a huge smile on his face, but his tight hold on his bolt did not relinquish. The rest of the immortals all sighed; relieved that Zeus' master bolt would be returned safely.
The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: You shall he betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
This caused all of the Gods and Goddesses, as well as Leo, Piper, and Jason, to stop looking relieved and begin to think who the friend was.
Meanwhile, all of the others on Olympus had angry, passive, or sad looks on their faces, all of which went unnoticed by the others.
Finally, Eddie, our building superior, delivered the worst line of all: And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.
All of the demigods who knew what was going to happen smiled, knowing that he would actually save what mattered most to him, or at least what mattered most to him at the time.
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?"
Apollo had a sad smile when he said, "She's not going to answer you kid."
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.
"Finally," thought Poseidon while letting out a sigh of relief.
"Well?" Chiron asked me.
I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."
Zeus smiled and then said, "The most important part, even though my bolt is what matters most."
Everyone on Olympus chose to just ignore the King of the Gods rather than get in a debate with, or blasted by, him.
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."
"Yes it is," agreed Athena while nodding her head.
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.
"But you will," whispered Annabeth under her breath, while staring helplessly at the floor.
Thalia put an arm around her and brought Annabeth into a comforting embrace that seemed to have no effect on said girl.
Athena didn't say anything, but stared worriedly at her daughter, wondering just how much her daughter cared for the boy, and what had to have happened to him to make her so sad.
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
Apollo and Hermes had slight smile on their faces from Percy's sarcastic comment.
How could I confess that?
"No," I said. "That's about it."
Everyone on Olympus, except for Hermes and his children, gave a sigh, knowing Percy should have just told Chiron.
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."
Annabeth nodded her head, agreeing with Chiron because that was exactly what happened.
I got the feeling he knew I was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make me feel better.
"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"
Everyone turned their heads to Hades who was looking at his shoes. Nico's faced darkened, hoping that his father was not responsible.
"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"
"Not Me," thought Hades, while still failing to meet any of the other Olympians' looks.
"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."
No one wanted to assume things, even though Chiron was normally right, so they just gave a view glances towards Hades, but didn't say anything.
Nico, however, was praying that his father was not the one that took the bolt.
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."
"I hope I'm not the only possibility…" thought Hades.
A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"
Most of the demigods chuckled at Grover's actions, which caused him to blush bright red.
"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," Grover pro tested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."
"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued.
"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."
Poseidon was glaring daggers at Hades, whom was wondering if the only reason he wanted the boy dead was because of the oath that his brother had broken.
"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."
"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."
Most of the demigods chuckled at Grover, who blushed and looked at the ground.
"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 understand 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."
Poseidon sighed and then slouched down in his throne, knowing that his son will most likely not make it out of the Underworld alive.
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.
I was ready to take him on.
All of the Gods and Goddesses were looking at the book with raised eyebrows, and Ares had an evil grin on his face, knowing full well that fighting would be occurring in the book very soon.
Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld …
Both Poseidon and Annabeth had sad smiles at the mention of Sally, Poseidon because he thought she was captured by Hades, and Annabeth because she thought about how worried Sally was when they told her that Percy was missing.
Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You're a kid. Hades is a god.
Hades nodded his head in agreement, while Nico smiled to himself, knowing that Percy would eventually defeat his father.
Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.
The chuckles of most of the occupants of Olympus ensued, which caused Grover to blush an even brighter red and look at his shoes.
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.
"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 only it was that simple," mumbled Zeus, which caused most of the Gods to crack a smile and Hades to glare half-heartedly at his youngest brother.
"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt them selves. 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 it.
"Or stupid enough," said Clarisse which caused everyone to nod their heads in agreement and a few of the demigods to smile, because Percy was both strong and bold, and stupid.
No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"
"You're saying I'm being used."
All of the Gods and Goddesses who had children looked anyone but their kids, not wanting to see the looks that were on their children's faces.
"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.
Poseidon had a small smile on his face, hoping that Percy would see it as that and not as him trying to use Percy, which he was not intending to do.
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. Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me.
Poseidon's small smile fell from his face and he look down dejectedly, sad that his son felt resentment towards him.
I looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"
"Yes!" was chorused by the demigods, and most of the Olympians agreed that Chiron most likely knew whose child Percy was.
"I had my suspicions. As I said ... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."
Those who had seen the mummy shivered.
Rachel, however, thinking that they were doing that to make fun of her, glared at everyone who shivered, which only seemed to increase their shivering.
Grover, who was smiling, leaned over to Rachel and whispered to her, "They are shivering because they saw the mummy, not you."
Rachel, who remembered seeing the mummy when she became the Oracle, stopped glaring at everyone, which caused their shivering to finally cease.
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."
"He makes it sound like it's going to be easy," noted Leo.
Everyone just stared at him, not believing that Leo said something that wasn't a complete joke.
When Leo realized everyone was staring at him, he said "What, do you want me to joke around all day?"
I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.
Cue the chuckles of the demigods and Grover's blushing.
"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.
Even some of the Gods joined in on at laughing at Grover's sad attempt to try to avoid going.
"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..."
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,
Both Clarisse and Ares muttered, "Wuss," under their breaths and luckily no one heard them.
though I didn't think that would be very heroic. Grover was the only friend I'd ever had for longer than a few months. 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.
Annabeth gave Grover a small smile, to which he returned with his own.
"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."
"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—"
"NO!" yelled Poseidon, who almost jumped out of his throne trying to make sure Percy, or the book really, got the message to not take a plane to Los Angeles.
Zeus had a wicked smile on his face at the mention of Percy getting on a plane.
"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.
Zeus' wicked smile was wiped off his face when everyone, including his face, was glaring daggers at him. He found his shoes very interesting at that point in time.
"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.
Most of the Olympians and Thalia rolled their eyes at Zeus and his theatrics.
"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."
"Oh no!" thought Athena as she began to piece together who would be going with them on the quest to the Underworld.
"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"
The air shimmered behind Chiron.
Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.
Aphrodite smiled at Annabeth, imagining all of the romantic ventures Annabeth and Percy would soon embark on together.
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."
Athena nodded her head in agreement, knowing that her daughter would be the best person for the job, and also glad that her daughter knew to not get close to the Sea Spawn.
"If you do say so yourself," I said. "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"
"They are just so cute when they flirt," squealed Aphrodite, while everyone else covered their ears as to try to not be deafened by Aphrodite.
Her cheeks colored. "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."
"That's it, who wants to read next?" asked Leo.
"I will," said Rachel as Leo handed the book to the Oracle.
"I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus."
I am sooo sorry for not updating in such a long time, but I didn't get the motivation to finish this until today, when I logged into my account and saw some of the reviews and saw how many people have viewed my story and I got the drive to start this up again. Not guarantees on updates, but I will try my best to do at least on chapter a week. Thanks to all of you who have waited so patiently for me to update again. Don't forget to review and such. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Nicene Quotes