I officially have a plot for this story. Yay! I'll start bringing it in at the end of this chapter, so you'll start to see where I'm going.

If you remember, their 'quest' is to retrieve Aphrodite's necklace from Dolos, the spirit of trickery.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just thought I should stick one of these in here somewhere.

I carelessly threw the last few things of mine into my knapsack before zipping it tight. Rachel had told me yesterday during archery that we were leaving to search for the spirit of trickery, or whatever, at six the next morning. Despite how early it was, I found myself oddly excited. At dinner the night before – only a day after Katie had thrown the pancake at my face – Katie had come up to me and Connor and agreed to go on the quest.

"We knew you'd decide to come, eventually." said Connor, patting her on the head.

Katie scowled. "Believe me, I don't want to come."

We just smiled and said goodbye. After she left, we high fived.

Luck was back on our side.

So anyway, here I was, standing at the top of the hill, waiting for Connor and Katie, when Rachel Dare walks up.

Now, she's not the worst person in the world but Connor and I have this thing about her. See, being the oracle and all, we can never really play pranks on her. She sees them all coming and somehow makes them backfire at us. Countless times we've found our own confetti bombs in our own water bottles and tongue enlarging mashed potatoes on our own dinner plates. But, hey, it was six in the morning and I was too tired to be snarky. Yawning, I resorted to a tired,

"Hey, Carrot Top, what's up?"

She smiled, ignoring my carrot comment. "Hey Travis, I just wanted to talk to you quickly before Connor and Katie show up." She plopped down on the dirt next to me, under Thalia's Pine. I looked down at my watch.

"Well, it's precisely six, and they'll be here any minute." I observed. "So start talking."

She smiled. "Actually, I told you to come fifteen minutes early. So, I'll take my time, thanks."

"Wait, you what?"

"I had a vision a few days ago, Travis."

I sighed, deciding the drop the 'fifteen minutes early' thing. "Yes?"

She gave me a grin that basically said 'ha!' "In this vision," she continued, "I saw you and your buddies on the quest in a park."

"A park?" I asked with a snort. I was hoping for a hospital, or a graveyard, or that cool place with the fire in Terminator 2…

"Yes." she said matter-o-fact-ly. "It was this really pretty one, actually. With nice tall palms and flowers." she sighed. "I almost wish I could come with you guys. It's a really romantic place, you know. For you and Katie." she winked and I blushed.

"And what are you implying with that statement, Dare?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. Well, anyway, the park's in California, so that's where I'd suggest heading first. Maybe by plane. Zeus has nothing against Demeter or Hermes."

She gave me a piece of paper with information about the park. I just yawned, shoving it into my back pocket, not even bothering to try to face my dyslexia at six in the morning. Being mostly mortal, Rachel didn't know Greek.

We talked (well, poked each other and exchanged rude comments), for the next five minutes or so until it struck six fifteen and two sluggish figures appeared through the mist, tramping up Half-Blood hill. Katie's face was caked in cover up, once again, and with the sun barely up I couldn't even see a tint of the blue color it really was. I told this to her and she punched me. But, for some reason her heart just didn't seem in it. I didn't ask her why, in fear of being snapped at, but I watched her carefully. Meh, it's probably just being up and at em' at six in the morning. I reassured myself.

Katie's POV

I hated being up and at em' at six in the morning. I mean, really. Could this week get any worse? First I get my entire face died blue, then I get pushed on a quest I don't want to go on, and now, on top of it all, I have the spirit of trickery talking to me in my dreams. Oh, I didn't mention that before? Well, yeah. It's Dolos. Sounds like a nice name, right? Kind of clowny and goofy.

Well that's not accurate in the least.

He's the rear of a satyr if you catch my drift.

He is the reason I decided to come on the quest in the first place. He came to me in a dream two nights ago. He threatened me. He told me I had to go on this quest. If I didn't, he would make sure that Travis died and I was stuck with my blue face for all eternity. So, I agreed to go on the quest. Well, he didn't force me, really. I was on the fence originally; Dolos only helped me make my decision final. He has no control over me, really. Not even right now. No control. Nada. I didn't eat bacon this morning for breakfast because he told me to in my dream last night. I wanted that bacon. Really. Being a vegetarian gets old sometimes…

"Come on Kate Pate." said Travis, interrupting my thoughts. "We've got to get plane tickets. We're going to California!" he said the state name in some weird robotic voice. He and Connor started cracking up and I groaned.

Between the blackmailing spirit in my dreams, and the two obnoxious brothers who have fun by sticking confetti bombs in water bottles, this was going to be one long quest.

So Dolos is blackmailing Katie. Don't worry, he will start making her do worse things as the story goes on… :D