5. Green Smoke Monster

After breakfast, me and my friends went to train at the arena. I used my lightbulb battle-ax against some dummies. I jabbed it in the stomach and hay came out of the other side.

"I wonder what Chiron meant about the gods fading," I wondered out loud.

Justin, while hitting a dummy in the head with his bow and arrow, suggested, "Maybe. . . they just ran out of battery or something?"

"Just shut up Justin," said Cynthia. "Maybe they got attacked or something?"

"That's a possibility, but aren't they immortal?" I asked.

"Yeah," responded Addie, "but I remember learning that the gods will fade when they are like completely forgotten, or that their sources of power are destroyed, or fall into evil hands."

"That's true," replied Paul, standing at the edge of the arena.

"Maybe Chiron will tell us more at lunch," I suggested.

At midday, we all went to eat lunch at the mess hall. We did the sacrifice to our god of choice, and then we all sat down. I was alone at my table. Zeus apparently didn't have many kids at the moment.

I finished eating my steak. Chiron walked—clopped up to me and told me to gather my friends and go to the big house after lunch. Once I got all my friends together, we all went to the Big House.

Everyone was in the rec room. The counselors from each cabin were there. From the Poseidon cabin, Percy Jackson was there. He had saved the world from ultimate destruction a few years back. His girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, was there for the Athena cabin.

From the Hades cabin, a guy named Nico di Angelo was there. The rest of the counselors I didn't really know because my friends hadn't talked to me about them. Chiron started to speak.

"Counselors, I have gathered you here today to speak about a very important matter that is occurring on Mount Olympus. I received a call from a nymph on Olympus that the Gods are turning into regular told me that a few days ago, Olympus was invaded by thousands of monsters and evil demigods. Those monsters and humans were able to capture the essence of what makes the Olympians gods. That very essence was stored in the thrones of each Olympian. The same thing also happened to the minor gods."

"Wow. They sure have great security systems," said Percy quietly.

"Shut up Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth. She punched his arm.

"Since the divine essence of the gods has been stolen, they are slowly changing into regular mortals. You campers have been taught how Western Civilization is tied to the Olympians, right?" he asked.

"Yes," we all said.

"Well, Western Civilization is also fading since the gods' and our civilization's fates are intertwined so closely. That nymph also told me, that he overheard the magicians of the monsters reciting spells in ancient greek, that changed the gods' essences into orbs of some sort. They compacted the minor gods' essences into one orb because their power isn't as large as the main Olympians. He also said that with magic, they spread those orbs all across the Olympians old home."

"Magicians? Isn't it that only the Egyptian gods can do magic?" asked Nico.

"Not unless they are children of Hecate, or are specially trained." said Chiron.

"By the Olympians' old home, do you mean Greece?" asked Percy inquisitively.

"No," said Chiron, "all of Europe. Across the capitals of where the gods were for centuries, until they came to America."

"This needs a quest!" said Justin.

"Yeah!" agreed everyone else.

"Then who should lead the quest?" asked Annabeth.

All of my friends said, "Vince!"

I backed away from the table, but my Paul pushed me forward.

"Okay. It is settled. Vince shall lead this quest," said Chiron.

"ME? Are you people freaking insane? I just got claimed two days ago! I just found out that the gods actually lived on Olympus! I have no idea what to do! I can't do this! Can't Percy go? He already saved the world!" I yelled, freaking out.

"Vince, calm down. I went on my first quest to recover Zeus' lightning bolt when I was younger than you. I can't go on this quest. All the monsters know me already and they will suspect that I'm trying to save the gods. They will kill me much more easily because they will notify all the other monsters to what I'm up to. On the other hand, they don't know you. You could blend in with your environment," said Percy calmly.

"Yeah," said Annabeth and everyone else.

"Ok fine," I said, "but if I die, I blame all of you!"

"Now, go to the woods and look for a cave with green torches. Speak to the Oracle. She will tell you the prophecy. Come back once she tells you."

I walked out of the Big House and towards the woods. I found the cave they talked about on the very edge of the from outside the cave, I felt a strong essence, pulling energy from outside to the inside. In the cave was a red headed girl, about eighteen years old. She had freckles on her face. She was reading a magazine titled Art Weekly.

"Um," I said, "I kind of need a quest to save the gods."

She turned around.

"Oh, ok sure. Just wait a second. . . . here it goes," she said.

Her eyes glowed green. She opened her mouth and green smoke poured out. The mist surrounded me. The Oracle spoke.

"Five half-bloods shall go to the east,

En route they shall encounter the eternal beast,

They will arrive at the city of the eye,

Recover the power of four gods, one, god of the sky,

They shall travel south to the land of Hercules,

Recover the ladies' power and ignore the pleas,

They will arrive in the city of love until death,

Where one hero shall release their final breath,

find the power of the four gods, one a pearl,

Lastly, they shall arrive at the heart of the world,

to find the power of the small gods made one,

and to return home and find the labor done."

"Um, ok thanks," I said still in shock.

"No problem!" said the girl cheerfully.

I returned to the Big House. As I walked in everyone turned to stare at me.

"Okay, Vince, recite the prophecy," said Chiron.

Sorry, guys. This chapter wasn't that exciting, but at least you'll find out what the prophecy means!

-cpcboy123