Chapter 3 POV Percy:

Rachel Cannot Pull off a Smokey Snake Scarf

Percy and Clarisse raced to the Big House after hanging the fleece on Thalia's Tree. The flood waters had begun to dry up, the ground solidified, and soon Camp Half-Blood looked as though the four-day storm had only been a spring shower.

The Big House however, looked like soggy bread. The storm had worn holes in the ceiling and walls, which now sagged. As Percy entered the infirmary, he saw that buckets had been placed on the floor to hold the water dripping from the roof. Annabeth ran up to him with a worried expression. "It Rachel. Chiron said she's been sick for the past four days, but this is new." She led him over to where Rachel lay unconscious. Her skin was tinted green. There was something shimmering wrapped around her body. At first it looked as though the Mist or healing magic was surrounding her, but to his horror, as he looked closer, it became apparent that a translucent snake was slowly squeezing the life out of his friend.

"What is that?" Percy demanded at an Apollo healer nearby.

The guy shrugged, "I've never seen anything like it before. That thing appeared minutes before the storm stopped. We've tried everything we could, but it's tricky. She's mortal but also hosting the Oracle. We can't give her any of the gods' food, but now a lot of the mortal healing techniques aren't working on her."

"So the monster in the sky knows we've gotten the Golden Fleece back, and now decided to attack Rachel. This monster knows way too much about us. Does Chiron know anything," Annabeth asked.

The healer shook his head, "He only told me to keep trying everything I know. I suspect he does know what this is but didn't say anything to me."

Percy thought back to what the Grey Sisters had told them. The monster had something to do with Hera. Of course it had to be the Queen of the Gods, she was always around the heart of their problems. He and Annabeth exchanged a look, and he knew that she was thinking the same thing.

"Has she woken up? Has the Oracle spoken at all?" Percy asked

The healer brightened, "Yes. It was difficult to understand because she was so very sick. And it's not quite a full prophecy, but..." He handed Percy a sheet of paper. "I need to go check on some of the other campers, call me if you see any change."

Percy and Annabeth looked at the sheet of paper. Whoever had written this had either been in a rush or had terrible handwriting. This did not mix well with dyslexia. Eventually they made out the first line:

A queen's revenge brings forth the tempest

It was clear to both Percy and Annabeth who this "queen" was. They took a stab at the next few lines, which were incomplete.

A change in garb - the fest

The key to - is bathed in fire.

Heavenly feather dooms serpent to pyre

The home of Vulcan brings struggle and strife

The failure to save an unborn life.

"Why does every prophecy involve life or death?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"Occupational hazard of being a demigod."

"I was seriously hoping to have some down time," Percy complained. "Seriously, two major prophecies and now this?"

"Yep, and now let's go find Chiron, we should probably hold a council now that the rain has stopped.

Percy took one last look at Rachel, still green with a snake wrapped around her. He made a silent promise to do whatever it took to save her, then followed Annabeth out of the Big House.

It took about an hour to find all of the cabin leaders, convince them to stop repairing their cabins and go to the Big House for a meeting. Clarisse had flat out refused to come, even when Percy threaten her with bodily harm. "I don't care what you guys decide. I'm going to university soon, so no quests for me. The less I know, the better."

A lot of the campers and their cabin leaders were not present either. Many of them had just left to go back to school, if they lived out west, where schools started early August.

Finally, after everyone had filed around the ping pong table, Chiron said, "Alright." The campers instantly got quiet. "We've gotten through this storm, but I'm afraid there's more to come."

"No shock here." Travis called out then winced as Katie kicked him under the ping pong table.

Chiron pretended he didn't hear anything, "Two days ago Rachel gave us a warning. This has not been sanctioned by the gods so we have not been given the most information about it. I suspect the Oracle is not only being suppressed by the monster but also by the gods. Now Percy and Annabeth have come with more information on what the quest will encompass.

Annabeth cleared her throat and all eyes turned on her. "The Grey Sisters gave us more clues about what this is about. Hera-"

Thunder boomed and Annabeth ignored it. Percy fell a little bit more in love with her. She was getting better at ticking off the gods. "H-E-R-A, Queen of Olympus, has done something that has endangered the gods. It involves eggs?" She turned to Percy for confirmation.

"Yeah two of them. Although one of them hatched," Percy supplied

"And it caused these storms. These monsters who come from eggs, they were powerful enough to nearly destroy the gods, twice."

Everyone around the table gasped and muttered.

"Twice?"

"So powerful!"

"What are we going to do?

"Are they worse than the giants or Titans?"

"Hera tried to endanger the gods? Isn't she one of them?"

Annabeth raised her voice over the muttering, "We don't know everything but we do know that we need a quest and we need to gather a member from Camp Jupiter."

"We do?" Percy asked.

"The Oracle mentioned Hephaestus by his Roman name Vulcan. She usually doesn't speak Latin to us unless it has something to do with both camps," Annabeth said as though it were obvious.

Piper raised her hand, "So who's going on this quest?"

Immediately Austin from the Apollo cabin raised his hand. "I'll go." Everyone stared him. Although his skin was the color of coffee, Percy could tell he was starting to blush.

Percy didn't know him very well. He had fought in the Battles of Manhattan and the Labyrinth. He felt guilty he hadn't had the chance to speak with him very much. "I just mean that it makes sense that a child of Apollo has to go right? There's a serpent that gets destroyed with a feather, like a feathered arrow…" he trailed off as all the campers stared at him.

Chiron regarded him seriously. "Austin, if the serpent you are referring to is Python, then you should know that this quest will be especially dangerous to a son of Apollo."

Austin squared his shoulders. "I have to go. I just, you know, feel it. In here?" He pointed first to his heart, changed his mind and pointed to his head

Chiron sighed. "If you have chosen this mission then so be it, but now you must take the responsibility of leading it."

Austin squeaked. Clearly he had not thought this entirely though. Percy heard Annabeth mutter, "Volunteer as tribute."

"What?" Percy whispered to her.

"Nothing," Annabeth blushed.

Percy returned his attention to Chiron as he spoke, "Who will you choose to come with you? I would suggest it be someone experienced."

Most of the campers looked away. Fighting two major wars in less than two years made even the bravest demigods hesitate to take on another quest. Austin turned hopefully to Annabeth. "You were given information from Grey Sisters. Can you come?"

Annabeth hesitated. It was clear to Percy that she wanted to say no, but didn't know how. "Look, Austin. I don't think I'm the best choice. There are so many demigods here who have yet to go on a quest. I've been on more than enough for a lifetime."

"Please you are the best person for this," Austin turned on his black lab puppy face.

Annabeth hesitated and looked at Percy. Percy looked back at her and understood that she was thinking back to the last time they had both been on separate quests. Whatever she chose, he was sticking with her. She sighed and Percy knew she her answer. "Alright," she said.

"But I'm coming with." Percy chimes in immediately. Chiron opened his mouth to protest.

"I won't be on the quest officially, but I'm not leaving her." Percy said firmly. "I'll just, you know...tag along."

Nobody bought this excuse. The children of the Big Three don't tag along on quests; they make or break them. Still nobody argued. They all knew that if they said no, he would go anyway. "Very well," Chiron said. "But be careful, you have made many enemies on your last few quests."

"How many want to bet he's more unpopular than Hercules?" Travis said rattling a bag of drachmas he pulled from nobody-wants-to-know where.

"No betting," Chiron said firmly. Katie kicked Travis in the shin again. Ever since the Titan War, they always seemed to be near each other. Either to give each other a pounding or play pranks, still everyone swore they secretly liked each other. "And after this meeting Travis, you will return Dionysis' drachmas. Now, Austin, Annabeth and Percy need to get ready to go on their quest. I suggest you all contact your families as well."

"Wait," Austin said. "Where are heading first?"

Chiron raised his eyebrow. "Where would you find a child of Vulcan?"

Percy and Annabeth grinned at each other. "Well, Austin," Annabeth said. "It's time you saw Camp Jupiter.

Chiron caught up to Percy as he was just about to enter his cabin. "Percy."

Percy turned to him. "I'm going no matter what."

"I know child. As much as I don't want you to go, I know I cannot forbid it. You would ignore me anyways."

Percy smiled sheepishly.

"I want to tell you to be extra careful on this quest. I wish Austin had picked different campers. You and Annabeth have not yet healed from your wounds in that pit." Chiron's eyes were soft as Percy flinched. "You especially have not healed. Being part of a major prophecy takes a toll on a human's mind and soul, not just the body. You have been part of two major prophecies and many smaller ones, and have had no time to heal. This is dangerous. This is how heroes succumb to their fatal flaws. Although you do not have the Curse of Achilles, it still can affect you, both positively and negatively. Remember what binds you to the mortal world during this quest. Do not let anyone lose themselves."

Percy looked toward the direction of Annabeth's cabin. His mortal point, his moral compass always pointed in her direction. "Of course. I'll be as careful as I can."

Chiron nodded at him sadly. "Then I will leave you to pack your things. Good luck Percy." He cantered away kicking up mud as he went.

Percy didn't bother packing very much. Only a backpack with two changes of clothes, a water bottle, raingear, energy bars, healing supplies and money. He knew from experience that if you brought a lot of things, like a suitcase full of clothes and money, they tended to get lost, stolen, sabotaged, or blown up. After an uncomfortable talk with his mother, where he had to endure several minutes of Sally nearly crying and Paul's disapproving voice in the background, Percy lay on his bed, emotionally exhausted. He considered Chiron's words. His fatal flaw was loyalty and he had been warned by Athena that this flaw could save or destroy the world, as well as himself. He would figure it out.

There was a knock on his door and Annabeth's voice call out to him. "Come on in," he said.

Annabeth entered dressed and ready to save the world. She looked at him lying on his bed. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"I'm glad you're coming," She approached the bed and sat down, looking at him. He scooted over and held out his arms. She lay down beside him and he wrapped his arms around her. He held her for a moment.

"You smell nice."

"Piper offered me her lemon soap."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah. So what's on your mind."

Percy looked into her grey eyes, which, like his, still had a glimmer of darkness from Tartarus. "I'm tired."

"Me too. But you know I have to go. I feel like this quest will complete our odyssey. We had the Titan War, the Giant War, now this prophecy feels like it will be the conclusion, whatever that means."

"I feel the same. That's why I didn't bother protesting." They lay there for a while, curled against each other. Finally, Percy said, "I talked to my mom. She and Paul are really upset I'm going on another quest."

"I get that." Percy knew that Annabeth and his mother had really gotten close during his time with Hera and Camp Jupiter.

"I feel bad," Percy admitted.

"Then I guess you'll just have to make it up to her by coming home at the end of each quest, no matter how long it takes," Annabeth said with a smile.

They lay curled around each other until Chiron and Austin could be heard calling their names. They got up, and headed out to meet them.

Austin had his saxophone in one hand and a backpack with a big patch on the front that read "I love Austin, Texas Lake".

"Nice backpack," Percy said.

Austin grinned at him. "Let's get the show on the road! Um, how are we getting there? Are we like, getting a plane, boat or train, a car?"

Chiron looked at Percy. "Do you think you can do it?"

Percy nodded. "We are going to get there by water traveling."

Annabeth got an excited look on her face. "You're able to do it now? Since when?"

"Two weeks ago. Dad said I could finally take people without them drowning."

"Wait, wait. Drowning? I'm not getting my saxophone wet. Do you know what happens to instruments get wet?" Austin said clutching his saxophone tightly to his chest.

"Relax, I got training by my dad, you know, Poseidon, and my step-brother Triton. Most sea creatures can go travel between different bodies of water, as long as it is freshwater to freshwater, or saltwater to saltwater. I learned how to travel this way. It is a lot faster. I wish I knew how to do this on my first quest. Would have saved so much time. Anyway, for my seventeenth birthday present, my dad gave me an invitation to Atlantis to train for a couple of weeks. The food wasn't very good. They didn't have any cheese burgers.

"It's like Nico's shadow traveling," Annabeth interjected before Percy could complain more about the terrible food in an underwater palace.

"That thing where he like, melts into a shadow and reappears in them too," Austin asked.

"Exactly," Percy said. "Only we are dissolving in water."

"That is so cool," Austin said.

Chiron put his hand on Percy's shoulder. "You know you have to be careful. Don't over use this power or you will liquefy."

"Don't worry I got this," Percy said grinning. "Shall we go to the beach?"

When they all reached the beach Austin looked doubtfully at the water. "Take my hand. I can keep us dry." Percy said.

Austin and Annabeth each took a hand and began to walk into to the water up to their necks. It took a lot more of Percy's concentration to keep two people dry. But his two-week training program had forced him to become, as Poseidon said proudly, 'ten times more powerful better than Theseus'. "Ready? Close your eyes. Oh and I forgot. Since I usually don't carry two other people, you need to hold your breath in the beginning while I set up the coordinates."

Annabeth gave him a wary look. Austin looked panicked, "For how long?"

"29.49 seconds, so 30 seconds. Remember, whatever you do, do not breathe during those 30 seconds or the water will crush your body till it implodes."

"No thanks," Austin said. "I'll hold my breath."

"Great. Okay ready?" The two on either side of him closed their eyes and took a deep breath.

Percy pulled them down under the water. A horrible wrenching feeling manifested in his gut as he created a thin layer of air around them all. He had never tried this with two other people. It hurt a lot more than he expected. Slowly, he created the path that would take them to California. Water swirled around them then, a tsunami sized undercurrent yanked them all down into the depth of the ocean. Percy managed to gasp out a prayer to Poseidon to help them get there safely before he blacked out.

Note:

I plan on doing a one shot on Percy learning how to water travel after this story is done.

Thanks to everyone who 'followed' and 'favorited' this story.