I walked through the camp and saw that most of the aphrodite cabin was still looking for Scarlet. I felt bad for not being able to help them search but I had specific orders not to. I really hoped I would be given a quest or I would have to disobey Chiron. I was pretty sure that he still wasn't too pleased when I eavesdropped on his conversation with Piper. I made it to Rachel's cave where I found her painting on the wall.
I cleared my throat "Hey Rachel?"
"Hi Percy, um do you need something?" She asked with her eyes still looking at the mural on the wall.
"Yea, I came here to get a quest" I said sheepishly.
I don't know why I was so nervous, I've gotten prophecies before.
"A quest?" she looked up from her painting "aren't you supposed to ask the gods first or Chiron?" She looked very confused.
I hadn't even thought of that yet. My brain just had completely turned off at that point.
"Yes didn't that, I need a prophecy or whatever" I lied, I could go ask my dad or Chiron for a quest to go find a girl that clearly didn't want to be found. Even if I got a quest or not I was going to be leaving tonight to go find Scarlet.
"Ok whatever let me go get my stool" She went to the back of her cave.
Rachel came back with the crusty old stool and sat down waiting for me to ask my destiny. I had to admit this was extremely awkward and I kinda just wanted to leave. It got even worse when nothing happened.
"Sorry Percy I got nothing, are you sure you asked Chiron," She hopped off the stool "this doesn't usually happen" Rachel brushed herself off and went back to painting.
"No you're good, I uh got to go, bye!" I ran back to the Poseidon cabin. I was about to make a really, really stupid decision. The last time I left on a quest without permission a couple of people died so this was definitely a bad idea. Only last time there was prophecy so those were predicted. This time I'm going in completely blind. I snuck into the Infirmary and stole some Ambrosia for my hopefully not so long journey ahead of me.
During dinner I was sitting with Leo and his siblings. I managed to convince him to let me use one of the magic backpacks from bunker 9. We ended up talking about Scarlet. I wasn't sure how that happened, probably because my brain was consumed with thoughts of her.
"Okay I got to ask, are you and Scarlet together or something?" Leo and I were walking over to send burnt offerings.
"What no!" I exclaimed "Why do people think that?" I was genuinely asking. Though when he asked me that question I got me thinking. Me and Scarlet weren't together but there had to have been something right? I mean she wouldn't kiss me for no reason. But then again she said it herself we had nothing to talk about.
"Whatever man," Leo sat back down "Chiron said I can be in the group to go visit Camp Jupiter, so I get to go see Jason" he said while eating his food.
"What the deal with you guys, yall clearly like each other." I told him teasingly
"Oh shut up, I don't even know if he likes guys… yet!" Leo whispered.
I guess he had this crush on Jason for almost two years from what Piper told me. I kinda felt bad for the both of them because they hadn't seen each other in 6 months. It's not that I could relate to much of course, but I couldn't imagine being away from the person I loved for that long. Oh wait I could actually, not that I loved Scarlet or anything but I could relate to the emptiness that Leo was feeling from not being with Jason.
After dinner I went to my cabin and gathered all of my things into the backpack Leo let me have. I packed an extra pair of clothes, a shield and my brother Tyson had made for me after the battle of manhattan and the ambrosia I took from the infirmary. I of course had my ballpoint sword pen, Riptide with me. I walked to the border of camp and I saw an awfully familiar girl looking to be leaving as well.
"Piper? What are you doing out here?" I quietly walked over to her.
"I could ask you the same question" She said mildly annoyed "But I'm going to go look for Scarlet, I'm assuming you're doing the same."
"What, how'd you know?" I asked seriously
"Oh my gods you are so dumb, are you gonna come with or not?" Piper said, looking like she was about to punch me.
"Oh yeah, do you have a plan?" I only asked because I just realized I never made one.
"Of course, my girlfriend is like that smartest person in the camp." Piper ran down half blood hill. "Now shut and follow me!" She yelled, already halfway down the hill. I took one last look at camp. I had this gut feeling that this little quest was going to be a lot longer than planned.
.