Percy's POV
The rest of the day flew by. Archery, arts and crafts and rock climbing took up the rest of the day. I was lying on my bunk in Cabin Three, taking a well-deserved rest, when I heard the familiar sound of a conch shell in from the dining pavilion.
I dragged myself off the bed, tossed on a fresh T-shirt and trudged up towards the pavilion.
On the way, I passed the Hermes cabin. I stopped to talk to a couple of my friends, but Theo didn't say a word. He just stared at me fearfully whenever I tried to talk to him.
Up at the dining pavilion, I sat by myself at the Poseidon table. I saw Annabeth chatting with her friends at the Athena table, Nico sitting alone at the Hades table, and Grover at the main table, looking fearfully between Mr. D and his plate of tin cans and cheese enchiladas.
I loaded my plate with some fresh fruits and barbecue. All the campers lined up near the bronze brazier and, as was customary, dropped in part of their meal as a sacrifice to the gods.
I dropped in a cluster of strawberries. "Poseidon," I said quietly, "accept my offering."
I walked back to my table and began to eat. When all the campers had eaten their fill, several nymphs arrived to clear the plates, and Chiron pounded one hoof on the marble floor of the pavilion.
"I would like to make some announcements," he said. "Capture the flag has been cancelled, owing to the slightly delicate situation on Olympus at the moment."
Nervous whispers broke out through the pavilion. Eventually, though, I couldn't stand the suspense. I stood up. "What situation?"
Rachel stood up from the main table. "The Ophiotaurus has gone missing."
An unearthly silence fell over the campers. Even the crickets stopped chirping, as if they had been struck dumb by the significance of those five words.
Now Katie Gardiner from Demeter stood up. "I know it's the Titans again!" she said. "We can't just stand by while Olympus is in danger! We need a quest!"
The flames of the bonfire burned three meters high as the excitement grew.
"All right!" Chiron shouted. He turned to Rachel. "We will need…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Rachel closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were glowing green. A few of the younger campers, who had not seen this before, gasped in shock.
Rachel began to speak in a rasping voice.
"Five shall go to the palace of black,
As loyalties begin to crack,
The elder gods shall enter the fray,
As the traitor refuses to betray,
But in the end it's down to one
To decide our fate, our leader alone."
She collapsed back on her chair, but sat up a few seconds later, her eyes back to normal. "Did somebody get that?"
"Yes," Will Solace called out, scribbling on a piece of paper. He got up and handed it to Chiron.
Chiron examined it. "Does anyone know what 'palace of black' could mean?"
"Hades' palace?" Chris Rodriguez suggested. Nico glared at him.
Annabeth stood up. "It could be Mount Othrys," she said hesitantly.
Chiron nodded. "Probably. Elder gods must refer to the Big Three…"
"No," I said. "I don't think so."
He looked at me quizzically.
"Uh, I don't know," I mumbled. I was uncomfortable with everyone staring at me. "We have Mount Othrys in this prophecy already. Doesn't it make sense that 'elder gods' could be the Titans?"
"I think he's right," Travis Stoll agreed. "It makes more sense that way."
Chiron cleared his throat. "Moving on…does anyone know who this traitor could be?"
No one said anything.
"And last…I think this is an easy one," Chiron joked. "Our leader."
"PERCY!" the entire camp bellowed. My face went red.
"Percy it is," Chiron decided. "He shall lead this quest." He turned to me. "You may choose four companions, Percy."
I stood up. "Grover, I'm going to need you on this one." He trotted over to where I was standing.
"Annabeth and Nico, you're in." They also came to join us.
And as for one more…
"Theo," I said. "Will you join us?"
He hesitated. "I – I – I will," he stammered.
"This is our quest team." Chiron's voice rang out. "They will depart at dawn tomorrow. Please return to your cabins immediately." The campers dispersed, deep in conversation about the night's events. Me…well, I was too shocked. I'd befriended the Ophiotaurus two years before. Bessie…kidnapped? It didn't seem possible.
Sleep didn't come easily that night.