Annabeth hated carriage rides. Hated. Loathed. Detested. Abhorred. There was no word strong enough. And she had to suffer through one until she reached Delphi. Thalia was trying to distract her by telling her stories of her childhood with Percy and their other cousins, as well as Jason.
Eventually, they reached Lord Apollo's city.
Delphi was a beautiful place. The temples magnificent and the company polite and charming. Annabeth had previously met the widowed King Apollo (what was with the royal families and having the current ruling monarch have the name of their godly patron?) and his son, Prince Lee Fletcher. The King and Prince welcome both Annabeth and Thalia into the city and persuaded the two (who only gave the pretence of sleeping in the humble abodes around them) to stay at the palace for the extent of their journey.
The first day in Delphi was spent with Thalia being dragged around the city by Annabeth. After all, Annabeth was her mother's daughter, and was ridiculously interested in architecture. They looked at building after building, temple after temple. Eventually, the two had had to return to the palace and dine with their hosts.
The second day was their visit to the Oracle. The Oracle lived in Lord Apollo's temple high in the mountains of Delphi. The temple was probably one of the first Greek buildings to see the sun every morning, Annabeth had mused, as she climbed up the mountain, followed by Thalia and their servants.
Upon reaching the temple's entrance, Annabeth stared at the engraved phrasing 'γνῶθι σεαυτόν - Know Thyself'. Well, if she and Thalia were right, the boy they were trying to save probably didn't. She acknowledged the fumes rising from the temple, showing that Rachel - or the Pythia, as she was now - was open for business. Annabeth scrunched her nose, certain she could smell the burning goat organs. It was disgusting, but necessary.
Annabeth sighed and entered the temple, feeling the calming scents of the incense sticks soothing her. She turned to a nearby priest and explained her presence. "I am Princess Annabeth Chase of Athens and I have brought along Princess Thalia Grace of Olympia. We request an audience with the Pythia."
All of the priests in attendence interviewed both girls, in preparation of their audience with Rachel. Annabeth learned how to structure her question to Rachel and how to present her honey-cake gifts to her. They went through many more rituals, but neither Annabeth nor Thalia had to do much in them that required much effort.
Finally, they were allowed to communicate with her. Annabeth offered her honey-cakes after the ceremonial laurel procession. She then asked, "O Pythia, will the Tide Walker be who we need and want?"
The Pythia looked up at Annabeth with a milky version of Rachel's green eyes. "The meeting of a princess and an adversary
Shall summon the one who controls the sea
Swear an oath by a final breath
As he travels on to the lands beyond death." She said before closing her eyes and collapsing slightly.
The priest led Annabeth out of the temple and thanked her before returning her to her entourage of servants and to Thalia.
"Well? What did she say?" Thalia said, excited. She noticed Annabeth's look of horror and concern. "What is it?" Thalia asked, suddenly serious and cautious.
She said that the meeting between a princess and an adversary shall summon the one who controls the sea. Someone will swear an oath by a final breath as he travels on to the lands beyond death." Annabeth repeated, shaking. She had been staring at the stones and pebbles beneath her feet when recounting the prophecy, but sharply (and slightly manically) looked up and met Thalia's eyes. "What if he dies? The princess is probably me, but what enemy will I meet? The one who controls the sea, well, that's going to either be Lord Poseidon or the Tide Walker. It's probably going to be the Tide Walker. But who is the one who will die?" Annabeth wailed.
Thalia sat her friend down on a bench nearby and soothed her. "Shush, shush." She soothed. "If the Tide Walker is Percy, we won't let him die. Believe me. Especially if he's the captain of that ship. His crew would probably willingly give their life for him a hundred times over." She hugged Annabeth. "Don't fret."