The other campers were all a mix of fear and shock; the only ones not shocked were Percy and Diogenes, the latter of whom was laughing.
"Hey you can't use boars, the rules say only two horses," the camper standing next to Annabeth on the Athena chariot pointed out.
"That is true but I will allow it if you reduce the number to one," Tantals explained, his hand reaching for a chocolate eclair.
Lincoln smiled and pulled a leather cord causing cursus and curious Barnes to come undone; the two smaller boars quickly ran and laid down on the side of the track.
Tantalus began to explain the rules before ordering the racers to their places. The moment the race began and Custos was off his massive speed and size acting like a wrecking ball any other chariot that got too close was ripped apart the flame thrower shot fire over the horses to spook um off the only chariot that was willing to get close was the Hephaestus cabin their mechanical horses and sturdy construction let it survive the force from Custos.
As Lincoln and Lucy took the lead he heard the screams and saw a swarm of birds attacking the stands and the chariots at last as Annabeth called out heroes to arms.
Lincoln pulled on the rains and Custos did a 90-degree turn on a dime.
"Lucy, pull the red cord," Lincoln ordered.
Lucy, not knowing what it does, pulled the cord. a parachute deploys from her safety harness and she is pulled free of the flame thrower and lands safely a few feet away, Lincoln jumps up to the frame thrower and begins to spray it into the air aiming for the birds. The flames cause the birds to turn and follow Lincoln as the biggest threat.
The birds followed Lincoln and others started stabbing at them with spears as Lincoln leads them in circles after a few moments percy and Annabeth showed up with a boombox and started playing Dean Martin this drove the birds off as the Apollo cabin kids started to draw their bows and fired within minutes the ground was covered in the bird's carcasses and the few survivors were flying away.
"BRAVO we have our first winner," Tantalus called, carrying the golden laurels and putting them on Stund Clarisse.
"and now to punish the troublemakers who disrupted this race," he adds smirking.
"What are you talking about, we scared the birds off," Lincoln asked.
"Yes you did quite valiantly even risking your victory for it but there remains the issue of why they attacked in the first place the Athena and Poseidon cabins' reckless driving," Tantalus smiled wickedly.
"oh why don't you just go chase a doughnut," Percy yelled at him.
"Humph, you should calm yourself down, boy . I think kitchen duty for the next week should be fair, don't you think lord Dionisus," Tanatuls smiles.
"Um yeah I think that sounds fair," Dionysus answers.
"oh come on this is…" Lincoln was cut off by Dionysus.
"Now that that is settled let us celebrate," Dionysus calls as the music begins to play again not from the boom box but from no whare.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx hours later at the campfire xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Well, that was lovely," he says as he reaches for his marshmallow on a stick only for it to jump off the stick and scurry away into the flame.
"Now then some announcements about tomorrow's schedule," he said before being cut off by percy.
"sir we have an idea to save the camp," percy says standing with Annabeth.
Lincoln smiled upon hearing this.
"Indeed, well if it has anything to do with chariots…
"the golden fleece," percy cuts him off. "We know where it is," he says and continues explaining his dream.
Annabeth explained the power of the fleece," the fleece can save the camp I know it," she concluded.
"nonsense we don't need saving," Tantalus .
"Are you fucking high this camp is on its last fucking legs," Diogenes yelled.
"oh well besides the sea of monsters that's hardly a precise location, you wouldn't even know where to look," Tantalus adds.
"Yes I would," Percy retorted, nodding.
"30, 31, 75, 12," percy explains
"ok," Tantalus said confused, "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers.
"they ain't meaningless you dumb ass their latitude and longitude," Diogenes explains having picked the horribly charred marshmallow from the fire and popped it in his mouth.
"Yeah 30 degrees 31 minutes north 75 degrees 12 minutes west the gray sisters gave me those coordinates," percy smiles "It's just off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic the sea of monsters we need a quest," percy finished
"Now just wait," Tantalus says but it was too late the entire camp was cheering for a quest.
With a look of rage, he scanned the crowd before smirking "Fine I will authorize a champion to leave camp and bring the fleece back or die trying," he smiles
"I will allow the champion to consult the optical and choose two companions for the journey, and I think the choice of champion is obvious, someone who has earned the camp respect and has proven in the chariot races and courageous in the defense of the camp you shall lead this quest ," tantalus smiled.
"wait, Grover's my friend the dream came to me," percy protested
"Sit down," called one of the Ary kids.
"you had your chance last summer," another camper added.
Yeah he just wants to be in the spotlight again," a third calls.
"I accept the quest," Clarisse smiles " I Clarisse La Rue daughter of Aries will save the camp,"
This caused the aries campers to cheer that leading to Athena's cabin yelling about how it should be percy eventually it was stopped by Tantalus shooting before telling them a ghost story
"Once upon a time, there was a mortal king who was beloved of the Gods!" Tantalus put his hand on his chest, and I got the feeling he was talking about himself.
"This king," he said, "was even allowed to feast on Mount Olympus. But when he tried to take some ambrosia and nectar back to earth to figure out the recipe—just one little doggie bag, mind you—the gods punished him. They banned him from their halls forever! His own people mocked him! His children scolded him! And, oh yes, campers, he had horrible children. Children … just ... like ... you."
He pointed a crooked finger at several people in the audience, including Percy and Annabeth.
"Do you know what he did to his ungrateful children?" Tantalus asked softly.
"He ripped off Kronos and used his kids as a protein boost then tried to feed into the gods blah blah blah," Diogenes says, interrupting the story.
A few campers laughed at Dioganese actions and whale tantalus looked pissed. After a few months, tantalus spoke up again
"I think that is enough for tonight now The Oracle my dear go on." tantalus says with a venomous grin.
Clarisse bowed awkwardly before running to the big house
Good," Tantalus said. "And let me remind everyone— no one leaves this camp without my permission. Anyone who tries … Well, if they survive the attempt, they will be expelled forever, but it won't come to that. The harpies will be enforcing curfew from now on, and they are always hungry!
Tantalus turned as the fire died out "Good night my dear campers," he chuckled
Lincoln gave a knowing nod to Percy before taking Lucy to the Artemis's cabin for the night.