Chapter 4: That dead thing in the attic
I was staring at my plate of food, the biscuits and eggs didn't look appetizing to me so when I went to scrape my food into the fire, I just dumped my entire plate and said "To the Gods". The fire changed to a vibrant blue then turned back to its original orange and the fire started to smell like fresh baked donuts. I sat back down at my table and held my empty glass in my hands, feeling the curves of the glass, when a group of boys came up to my table. "Is it alright if we sit here?" I looked up at an older boy with sandy blonde hair and elfish features that complemented his face "Not at all", I said now seeing that all the boys that were standing by looked the same. The boys sat down and started to introduce themselves, "I'm Luke, these are the Stoll brothers. We're cabin eleven, Hermes kids". Luke put his plate down on the table and pulled out packets of hot sauce from his pocket, "I didn't know hot sauce was an option" I said surprised as the food was usually brought out to us. "It's not, I snatched it from the big house the other day" Luke then spread the hot sauce across his eggs and started to scarf them down.
"So what monsters have you met?" One of the Stoll brothers spoke to me with a mouthful of food, "I… haven't met any monsters yet". The Stoll twins and Luke stared at me like I had a third eye, "Wait, how old are you?" Luke asked, "Sixteen" I responded and saw Luke's face turn to a disappointed look. "How!?" Shouted one of the Stoll brothers, "What do you mean?" I asked, "Sixteen and you've never met a monster". "Well, I did get attacked by metal birds the other day but nothing monster like" I couldn't stop fiddling with the ring on my hand as I talked and I noticed Luke look down at my hand. "We'll have to take you to the woods today" Luke finished eating his plate and then grabbed his empty glass and said "Pespi". I was shocked to see his empty glass fill up almost instantly at his request for soda. Luke took a drink and must have noticed my shocked look as he almost spat out his soda.
"You have to say what you want and the glass will fill up" Luke said to me, figuring out that I didn't know the trick for the glass. I picked up my glass and said "Unsweetened Tea" then my glass filled up with liquid and I took a drink. The tea tasted better than any other tea I'd ever had, I couldn't help but drink the entire glass in one gulp then let out a loud burp. Luke then got up and signaled me to follow. We walked past the cabins, the strawberry fields and then the amphitheater which led us to the outskirts of the woods. Luke and the Stoll twins pulled out swords and daggers from their bags then pulled out some armor while helping each other strap the pieces together. "Here, most any sword should be good for you" Luke handed me a bronze bladed sword and the handle felt light in my hand. I swung the sword around a couple of times and felt the blade slice through the air evenly.
"Don't I need armor?" I asked as no one looked to have an extra set, "Here" Luke then threw a water bottle at me which I caught but almost dropped it. Before I could ask any more questions Luke headed into the woods and the Stoll boys followed after, so I followed too. The woods were filled with mostly thicker oak and pine trees with the surrounding greenery filling in any gaps. Our pace was fast enough to keep us moving at a steady pace but slow enough to not make any unwanted noise. We stopped by an old fallen down tree, when we spotted a small pack of wolves. Luke put his hand to quiet us and we slowly crept up to the pack before Luke dropped his hand and the Stoll brothers started charging at the pack like Greek warriors.
Soon we were surrounded by multiple packs of wolves, I swung my sword towards an oncoming wolf and it turned into dust as my sword cut through its fur. I turned towards the fallen tree for cover when another wolf jumped towards me, knocking me to my butt. I was holding off the wolf, whose mouth was lined with more than a dozen rows of teeth and my sword was keeping it back. I tried pushing my sword back against its jaw but it chomped down on the blade and shredded it with its rows of teeth. I started to crawl under the fallen tree but felt a large chomp on my leg and the feeling of a hundred tiny daggers vibrating in my calf. "AYYYHHHHEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAA!" Is about the correct noise I made as the wolf pulled me back from under the log. I tried grabbing at the tree but my right hand slipped and I felt my ring move off my finger.
There was a loud sound of a wave crashing and I felt a long pole enter my hand. I brought the pole towards the wolf and noticed a bright sea green trident in my hand. The wolf turned into a pile of ash as the tip of the trident pierced through the wolf's skin. I used my new weapon to stand back up and I noticed the trident was a couple inches taller than me. Another wolf came charging at me and I spun the trident around and stabbed straight down, turning the attacking wolf into ash. My leg was still swelling with pain but lucky my new weapon could act as a cane for me to hobble on.
Luke came back over to me and saw my leg, "Oh, you might want to pour that water on your leg". I took the water bottle from the nearby tree and poured it on my badly chewed up leg. Within seconds the wounds started to stop bleeding but the cuts were still left open. "You'll need some nectar and ambrosia back at the medical tent, and maybe some rest" Luke grabbed my other shoulder and started to help me walk back to camp. As I started to hobble, I felt the trident in my hand start to shrink and I saw the once tall pitchfork turn to water then slip around my finger back into the green ring my father gave me. "That's cool" I said as my unsupported side started to sag to the ground. I tried my best to keep myself up but the residing pain was too much to bear. I soon passed out and could smell the sea salt crashing from the waves on the beach.
I soon awoke on a cot in the medical tent, I looked around and saw some satyrs feeding passed out half-bloods a thick pudding. "Good, you're awake" I jumped at the gruff voice from beside me and saw Mr.D sitting on a chair beside the cot I was laying on. "How long was I out?" I asked, as I looked down at my leg and saw that it was completely healed. "Two days, I received a very angry letter from your father" Mr.D was pulling out a crumpled piece of paper, unfolding it, then handed it to me. The letter was written in some weird scribbles that changed around the longer I looked at it and the letter read 'If you could please hop off your ginormous butt and send my son off on his quest, I would appreciate it. Zeus doesn't need to know about the New Years Party -P'.
"This is usually Chiron's job but I guess I could show you the Oracle" Mr.D then stood up and walked out of the tent, not waiting around for me. I quickly jumped off the cot and started to follow, I noticed a lot more eyes on me as I walked towards the big house. "Why's everyone staring at me?" I asked Mr.D, "First quest in a long time, let alone a solo one" "A solo one?" I asked. "Yeah, lucky you" Mr.D opened the screen door of the big house and led me inside. We walked to a set of torn wooden stairs that led up to the attic. "Straight up and don't come back down till she's finished" Mr.D then popped open a diet coke and went towards a lounge chair with a tired look on his face. "Wait, till who's finished?" I said, trying to hide any fear in my voice. "You'll see" Mr.D then pulled sunglasses out of thin air and placed them on his face signaling that he was trying to sleep.
I walked up the set of torn wooden stairs, hearing each step creak as I stepped on them. I entered the attic and saw that it was filled with dusty items that had been left up here for decades. I looked at a set of scissors that were plated gold and attached at the handle was a string with a tag reading, 'Unknown item, found at camp during the 90's, possibly cursed', I soon dropped the scissors, not wanting to be cursed. I turned towards the middle of the attic and saw a lump of clothes, sitting on a chair with a hose leading out the top and a glass jar sitting beside it with green smoke. "Hello?" I yelled, hoping for some answer. "I am the seer of all prophecies" an eerie voice filled the air and a loud sucking noise could be heard. I looked at the glass jar and saw the green smoke leave through the tube attached to the jar. The pile of clothes sitting on the nearby chair started to rise, almost filling up to make a person.
"I speak the foretold and see what's in store for you" The pile of clothes started to puff out green smoke and I could see a dead like face peering through the pile. "Alone you shall go per the Gods request, You shall break the legs of the one who's forgotten the sea, pairelle shall wait behind the sand and sea, two brothers must unite to stop the deadly beast but one may fall if the other steals the thief" The eerie voice trailed off and the pile of clothes deflated as the green smoke seemed to be sucked back into the glass jar. I stared at the clothes, waiting for anything else, "That's it!".
The Borders of Camp Half-blood
I stood next to a large pine tree and waited for Mr.D to escort me out of camp. I couldn't stop fiddling with my ring, trying to get it to change back into a trident. I couldn't help but sit down by the pine tree and feel comfortable by the tree's presence. I was trying to think of a way I could find Tritan in NYC. "Well, I brought you an adventuring backpack and a map of NYC" Annabeth was walking up the hill and I couldn't see Mr.D anywhere. "Where's Mr.D?" I asked, "Couldn't make it, but here you go. Try to come back alive" Annabeth then handed me the map and backpack then stuck her hand out for me to shake it. "Thanks, I wish my glasses where fixed so at least I could see" Annabeth looked at me strange then moved her satchel over and pulled out a pair of glasses, "Here, these were made by the Hephaestus cabin, they should adapt to your eyesight as well as zoom in when you want to look farther".
I took the glasses from Annabeth and put them on and instantly the lens changed to show a small heads up display reading 'Please wait…. Eyesight read,' the glasses then became clear and I could perfectly, "Thanks!" I said to Annabeth, "Don't mention it, goodluck" Annabeth then turned back down the hill and I was alone once more. I looked out at the surrounding forest and looked down at the map. My new glasses started to project a path that led to NYC, I looked out at the forest and saw the red tail painted on the ground. "Alright feet, do your thing".
Outskirts of New York City, Random Rest Stop
I was currently sitting in a stall of a random rest stop outside of NYC, I opened my backpack and found a couple of granola bars, golden drachmas, a change of clothes, nectar and ambrosia, about fifty dollars of regular US money, and a pamphlet that was about surviving on a quest. I pulled out a granola bar and started to head out of the restroom when a big looking kid walked right into me. "Excuse you" I said harshly, the kid turned to look at me and his face looked just like a pig, a fat snout where the nose should be, small tusk on the ends of the nose and a great big jaw. The pig kid put his hand around my throat and pushed me against the wall, "Half-blood, you're gonna save me some money on food" the pig kid opened his giant jaw and tried to pull my head into his mouth.
I tried to make my ring change into a trident but it wouldn't. I tried to focus on water and the sea, to see if that would do the trick. A loud burst of water came from the sinks, followed by another loud burst of water from the toilets. A giant wave formed in the bathroom and engulfed both the pig kid and me. I swam towards the restroom door to pull it opened when the pig kid grabbed onto my leg. I tried to kick him off but his grip was tight and my leg still didn't have its full strength back. I pulled the ring off my finger and clapped my hands together hoping that would do the trick and to my surprise it did. I was now holding my trident and started to let myself sink to the floor bringing the pig kid down with me. I took the trident and stabbed at the kid but he let go of my leg and moved away from me.
I went back towards the door and pulled it open, forcing all the water to rush out. I grabbed to the side of the wall to keep myself from being flung out by the water and saw that the pig kid was holding onto a stall door. As soon as the water dropped down, I got to my feet and started towards the monster, I raised my trident and swung down at the pig kid and stabbed him directly in the back. The kid let out an ear tearing screech and then turned to dust. I walked out of the soaked bathroom and put a trash can in front of the door to keep people away from the mess. I started back out on the road and was glad to almost be in NYC.
