Hello there, gods, half-bloods and friends, welcome to the next chapter of The God Hunter.
I added Markers for when each Book start.
Anyway, hope you enjoy and now story time.
The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds had simply been minding their own business in the woods and would not have attacked if Percy, Matt, Annabeth and Tyson hadn't disturbed them with their bad chariot driving.
He sentenced them to kitchen patrol. Scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. The harpies washed with lava instead of water, to get that extra-clean sparkle and kill ninety-nine point nine percent of all germs, so Percy, Matt and Annabeth had to wear asbestos gloves and aprons.
Tyson didn't mind. He plunged his bare hands right in and started scrubbing, but Percy, Matt, and Annabeth had to suffer through hours of hot, dangerous work, especially since there were tons of extra plates. Tantalus had ordered a special luncheon banquet to celebrate Clarisse's chariot victory.
After listening to Percy's dream about Grover again, it all started to fit together.
"Grover went looking for Pan and he found the Fleece instead because they both radiate nature magic." Percy said, "It makes sense, Annabeth. We can rescue him and save the camp at the same time. It's perfect!"
Annabeth hesitated. "A little too perfect, don't you think? What if it's a trap?"
"So what if it is?" Matt said, "Do we have any other options?"
"Wait, you want to come along?" Percy said.
"It's not a matter of wanting, I have to come along." Matt said, "Because if you died, it isn't going to be me who breaks the news to Sally. Especially if I could have done something to prevent your death."
Annabeth glanced at Tyson, who'd lost interest in their conversation and was happily making toy boats out of cups and spoons in the lava.
"Percy, Matt." she said under her breath, "We'll have to fight a Cyclops. Polyphemus, the worst of the Cyclopes. And there's only one place his island could be. The Sea of Monsters."
"The what now?"
"The Sea of Monsters. The same sea Odysseus sailed through, and Jason, and Aeneas, and all the others." Annabeth explained, "The Sea of Monsters is the sea all heroes sail through on their adventures. It used to be in the Mediterranean, yes. But like everything else, it shifts locations as the West's center of power shifts."
"Let me guess." Matt said, "It's in the Bermuda Triangle?"
"Exactly." Annabeth said.
"Seriously!?" Matt said, "I hate being right!"
"No, you don't." Percy said.
"...Yeah, he's right." Matt admitted, "So when are we heading there?"
"Hold on." Annabeth said, "It's still a huge area. Searching for one tiny island in monster-infested waters..."
"Hey, I'm the son of the sea god." Percy said, "This is my home turf. How hard can it be?"
Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "We'll have to talk to Tantalus, get approval for a quest." she said, "He'll say no."
"Not if we tell him tonight at the campfire in front of everybody." Percy said, "The whole camp will hear. They'll pressure him. He won't be able to refuse."
"Worth a shot." Matt said with a shrug.
That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's bird attack. They all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.
The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder one sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, it could reach twenty feet high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row's marshmallows burst into the flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint.
Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.
When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!"
He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like. But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.
Tantalus turned back toward them, smiling coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."
"I've come to make an announcement!" Matt suddenly shouted as he stood up.
Tantalus's eye twitched. "One of our kitchen boy has something to say?" he said.
Some of the Ares campers snickered, but Matt wasn't one to let anybody silence him.
"We have a way to save the camp." Matt said.
Dead silence, but he's gotten everybody's interest, because the campfire flared bright yellow.
"Indeed." Tantalus said blandly, "Well, if it has anything to do with chariots..."
"The Golden Fleece." Percy said as he stood up, "We know where it is."
The flames burned orange. Before Tantalus could stop them, Percy blurted out his dream about Grover and Polyphemus's island. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her.
"The Fleece can save the camp," Annabeth concluded. "I'm certain of it."
"Nonsense, we don't need saving." Tantalus said, "Besides, the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."
"We do." Matt said as the voice in his head whispered into his ear, "30, 31, 75, 12,"
"Okay." Tantalus said, "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."
"They're sailing coordinates. Latitude and longitude" Percy said when he got a look from the tall blonde, "I, uh, learned about it in social studies."
Even Annabeth looked impressed. "30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. He's right!" Annabeth said, "The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"
"Wait just a minute." Tantalus said, "It isn't necessary!"
But the campers took up the chant. "We need a quest! We need a quest!"
The flames rose higher.
"Fine!" Tantalus shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. "You brats want me to assign a quest?"
"YES!"
"Very well, I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying." Tantalus said, "I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle! And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious."
Tantalus looked at Percy, Matt and Annabeth as if he wanted to flay them alive. "The champion should be one who has earned the camp's respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races and courageous in the defense of the camp. You shall lead this quest... Clarisse!"
"That's an odd way of saying my name." Matt said.
The fire flickered a thousand different colors. The Ares cabin started stomping and cheering,
"Clarisse! Clarisse!"
Clarisse stood up, looking stunned. Then she swallowed, and her chest swelled with pride. "I accept the quest!"
"Wait!" Percy shouted, "Grover is my friend. The dream came to me."
"Sit down!" yelled one of the Ares campers, "You had your chance last summer!"
"Yeah, he just wants to be in the spotlight again!" another said.
Clarisse glared at him. "I accept the quest!" she repeated, "I, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, will save the camp!"
The Ares campers cheered even louder. Annabeth protested, and the other Athena campers joined in. Everybody else started taking sides, shouting and arguing and throwing marshmallows.
I've heard enough. Let's go plan our next step Matt.
"Good idea, Ash." Matt thought as he stood up and walked away.
Those are the only ones I have.
Late in the night, the full moon shone in the clear and starry sky as Matt sneaked out after curfew and headed to the beach. There he found Percy sitting on a blanket near the surf and a open a can of Coke.
"Yo, dishwasher." Matt said and his sudden appearance almost made Percy spew out his soda.
Matt laughed just when somebody said, "Beautiful, aren't they?"
Standing right next to Percy was a guy in nylon running shorts and a New York City Marathon T-shirt. He was slim and fit, with salt-and-pepper hair and a sly smile. He looked kind of familiar.
"May I join you?" he asked, "I haven't sat down in ages."
Matt and Percy exchanged a look, while this guy acted so calm about the whole thing but they agreed they should stay on guard.
"Sure." Percy said.
"Your hospitality does you credit." he said with smile, "Oh, and Coca-Cola! May I?"
He sat at the other end of the blanket, popped a soda and took a drink. "Ah... That hits the spot. Peace and quiet at..."
A cell phone went off in his pocket.
The jogger sighed. He pulled out his phone, it glowed with a bluish light. When he extended the antenna, two creatures began writhing around it, green snakes, no bigger than earthworms. The jogger didn't seem to notice. He checked his LCD display and cursed. "I've got to take this. Just a sec..." Then into the phone: "Hello?"
He listened. The mini-snakes writhed up and down the antenna right next to his ear.
"Yeah, listen. I know, but... I don't care if he is chained to a rock with vultures pecking at his liver, if he doesn't have a tracking number, we can't locate his package... A gift to humankind, great... You know how many of those we deliver. Oh, never mind. Listen, just refer him to Eris in customer service. I got to go."
He hung up. "Sorry. The overnight express business is just booming. Now, as I was saying..."
"You have snakes on your phone." Percy said.
"What? Oh, they don't bite." The jogger said, "Say hello, George and Martha."
"Hello, George and Martha." a raspy male voice said.
"Don't be sarcastic." said a female voice.
"Oh, let's not go into that again!" The jogger said, as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, "Now, where were we... Ah, yes. Peace and quiet."
He crossed his ankles and stared up at the stars. "Been a long time since I've gotten to relax. Ever since the telegraph, rush, rush, rush."
"Wait a minute are you?" Matt said as he thought about it some more, "Aren't you Luke's dad? Hermes?"
"Smart boy." the man said as he took out his phone again, "Original form, please."
The phone glowed a brilliant blue. It stretched into a three-foot-long wooden staff with dove wings sprouting out the top. George and Martha, now full-sized green snakes, coiled together around the middle. It was a caduceus, the symbol of Cabin Eleven.
The god stuck his caduceus in the sand like an umbrella pole. "Though Luke's dad? Usually not the first way people introduce me. God of thieves, yes. God of messengers and travelers, if they wish to be kind."
"God of thieves works." George said.
"Oh, don't mind George." Martha flicked her tongue, "He's just bitter because Hermes likes me best."
"He does not!"
"Does too!"
"Behave, you two. Or I'll turn you back into a cell phone and set you on vibrate!" Hermes warned before turning to the two heroes, "Now, what do you intend to do about the quest?"
"I-I don't have permission to go." Percy said.
"Oh come on, Percy!" Matt said, "Like that is going to stop us."
"See, he gets it! Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment!" Hermes said his eyes twinkled, "Martha, may I have the first package, please?"
Martha opened her mouth and kept opening it until it was as wide as an arm. She belched out a stainless steel canister, an old-fashioned lunch box thermos with a black plastic top. The sides of the thermos were enameled with red and yellow Ancient Greek scenes, a hero killing a lion; a hero lifting up Cerberus, the three-headed dog.
"This is a collector's item from Hercules Busts Heads." Hermes said, "The first season."
"The feck is Hercules Busts Heads?" Matt said.
"Great show, back before Hephaestus-TV was all reality programming." Hermes sighed, "Of course, the thermos would be worth much more if I had the whole lunch box..."
"Wait a minute." Percy said, "This is a gift?"
"One of two." Hermes said, "Go on, pick it up."
Percy almost dropped it. The weird thing was, when the thermos, the side facing the ocean which was north was always the cold side.
"It's a compass!" Percy said.
"Really? I never thought of that. But its intended use is a bit more dramatic." Hermes said, "Uncap it, and you will release the winds from the four corners of the earth to speed you on your way. Not now! And please, when the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are a bit like me, always restless. And now my second gift. George?"
George unhinged his jaw and coughed up a little plastic bottle filled with chewable vitamins.
"Are these..." Matt said as he studied the vitamins, "Are those Minotaur-shaped?"
Hermes picked up the bottle and rattled it. "The lemon ones, yes. The grape ones are Furies, I think. Or are they hydras? At any rate, these are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really need it."
"How will we know?" Percy said.
"You'll know, believe me." Hermes said, "Nine essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids... Oh, everything you need to feel yourself again." he tossed Matt the bottle.
He caught it, giving it a look over. "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth." Matt said, "But why are you helping us?"
The god gave a melancholy smile. "Perhaps because I hope that you can save many people on this quest." he said, "Not just your friend Grover."
"You mean Luke?" Matt said, "He doesn't like you very much."
Hermes gazed up at the stars. "If there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it." he said, "It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the Internet..."
"Look, I appreciate the help. But me and Luke..." Matt said, "I made him a promise, and I intend to keep it."
Percy gave him a concerned look as Hermes got up and brushed the sand off his legs. "Perhaps you will know the meaning of family in time. Now I must be going." he said, "And you two have a shorter deadline than you realize to complete your quest. Your friends should be coming right about... now."
Annabeth's voice was calling their names from the sand dunes. Tyson, too, was shouting from a little bit farther away.
"I hope I packed well for you." Hermes said, "I do have some experience with travel."
He snapped his fingers and four yellow duffel bags appeared at Percy's feet. "Waterproof, of course. If you ask nicely, your father should be able to help you reach the ship."
Hermes pointed. Sure enough, a big cruise ship was cutting across Long Island Sound, its white-and-gold lights glowing against the dark water.
"You got about five minutes before the harpies will come to eat you." Hermes said, "Now, good night, cousin, and dare I say it? May the gods go with you."
He opened his hand and the caduceus flew into it. The caduceus changed into a cell phone and Hermes slipped it into his pocket. He jogged off down the beach. Twenty paces away, he shimmered and vanished, leaving the two alone with a thermos and a bottle of chewable vitamins.
"What's going on?" Annabeth asked once she found them, "I heard you calling for help!"
"Me, too!" Tyson said, "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"
Annabeth noticed the four yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins the two where holding.
"Look, nobody was calling." Matt said, "We have to be quick."
Percy and Matt told them about their conversation with Hermes. By the time they where finished with the abridged version, screeching was heard in the distance.
"The patrol harpies are coming." Matt said, "We need to go. If we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to."
"I want to go." Tyson said.
"No!" Annabeth's voice sounded close to panic, "I mean... Matt, your reasonable..."
Matt let out a loud laugh. "Okay, okay." Annabeth said with a small smile of her own, "I walked right into that."
Meanwhile, the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away.
"We can't leave him." Matt told them, "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."
"Matt!" Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "We're going to Polyphemus's island!"
"Polyphemus is an S-i-k... A C-y-k..." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too.
"Tyson can go." Percy insisted, "If he wants to."
Tyson clapped his hands. "Want to!"
"That's my boy." Matt said with a smile.
Annabeth gave him the evil eye, but gave her a wink before he turned to the ocean, "So..." he said, hands on his hips, "How are we going to get to that ship?"
"Hermes said my father would help." Percy said as he stepped into the waves.
Meanwhile thousands of miles away, the big palace up on Olympus was glittering in white and silver, even during the night. Twelve thrones were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for three at the end.
"Think about it, husband. My son with his potential, could be the end to the current status quo. But see it from a different perspective." Hera said, "If you treat him well, get him on our side, get him to be loyal to Olympus. He could be our biggest trump card, if the card literally flipped the table and snapped the neck of the other player. He could be Olympus greatest asset."
"You keep saying that, wife. But would he serve the interests of Olympus." Zeus said, "Or serve the interests of you?"
"My interests are Olympus interests." Hera said.
Before more could be discussed, the doors to the throne room swung open, and a panicking Hermes came running in, "Father! Everyone!... I-It's him..." Hermes said, "He is back in this World."
Hera and Poseidon eyes widen in fright, as only one visitor could cause such a panic, but Zeus being the arrogant god that he is roared in anger, "That fucker is back!?" the surrounding filling with static, smelling as if a storm was coming.
"Y-Yeah." Poseidon said nervously, "I thought he was gone for good too."
"It's been fourteen years!" Zeus said, throwing up his hands, glancing at his wife.
"Dear husband. Are you still hung up on the fact he beat you?" Hera said amused, earning a glare from her husband, "Just saying."
"Things have changed a lot since he left." Zeus said as he rose up from his throne and he began to walk, "I got to send a message of who's really in charge of things now."
"Yes, you should do that."
Ever god in attendance froze in place upon hearing that deep, posh upper-class British accented voice. Slowly they turned to Zeus throne and sitting upon it was a handsome and tall man. He had swept back platinum blonde hair. He was wearing a open white up dress shirt with the sleeved rolled up to his elbows, black swimming short with golden flowers decorating and a pair of flip-flops.
They couldn't see them behind the black tinted aviator glasses, but he had intense amber eyes. On his right ring finger was a gold ring.
This was him, the being they owed their continued existence to.
"Greetings and salutations, gods of Olympus." he said as he slouched back into the throne, resting his head on his fist, "I thought you would show a bit more respect, Zeusie boy."
Clenching his fist, Zeus breath through his nose as he gave a slight bow.
"Lower." the figure commanded with an amused smirk on his face.
Zeus had no choice but to comply as he was forced to his knees, before bowing his head towards the marble floor. Everyone was on edge. Even though the gods where powerful, they had no hope against him and where forced to walk on thin ice around him, if they didn't wish to invoke his wrath upon them.
"Now was that so hard?" he said, the smile never leaving his face, "Honestly, it almost feel like I'm not welcome here."
"Of course not." Hera said quickly, "We are honored to play host to you."
"Oh, Hera, my dear. That's a lie and you know it." he said with a laugh, "Well then, I shall keep it brief. I have business to attend to in that part of the ocean... What was it called? Sea of Custard?"
"The Sea of Monsters." Poseidon said.
"Yes, that one. Thank you, Poseidon." he said gesturing to the god of the sea, "How are things under the waters by the way? How's the kid?"
"Y-You know of Percy?" the sea god said, a bit on edge at the thought he knew about Percy.
"Never heard of him. Is that a new one?" he said, tapping his chin, "Didn't you had that pact with Zeus and Hades to not have children anymore? Though honestly, I had figured you would be more likely to break it before Hades would. Both of you after Zeus here of course."
"Y-Yeah, he's a new one... Thank you for asking." the god of the sea said with a bow of his head, "If I may ask, what is your business? Perhaps I could be of assistance."
"It's none of your concern." he told them, waving him off, "Now that you know of my presence, I would rather not be disturbed during my stay."
"Of course." Hera said with a bow, "If there is anything we or I can do to make your stay more pleasant."
"Hera darling, trying to get into my pants again." he said with an amused laugh as he stood up from the throne, "Your husband is right there.", he gestured to the still bowing Zeus.
"I-I didn't mean it like that." Hera said turning her gaze down, "You've never given us the courtesy of knowing of your stay. I thought it only fair to extend our hospitality..."
"While I personally believe my presence in this World isn't any of your business, the wife disagreed. Says it is just common courtesy. And the happiness of my significant other is of utmost importance." he said with a chuckle, "It's something Zeus has never heard about."
As he passed the bowing Zeus, the king of gods looked up with a glare, "Like how you kept my bastard happy?" he growled, with sheer venom in his voice
Suddenly he came to a stop and a palpable silence filled the air. He let out a humorless chuckle before slowly turning around, "What did you say?" he said his voice dropping dangerously low.
He unleashed but a fraction of his power, forcing all in attendance to the ground and knocking them into a mortal height. Hera, Poseidon and Hermes struggled to look up to see Zeus genuinely terrified, knowing how much he fucked up.
"If you ever speak that disrespectfully about her again." he said, his voice echoed with power as he slowly approached him, "I will tear your soul apart, and broadcast your screams for every other disrespectful WRETCH who dares to question me."
This threat from anyone would have the proud god laugh and vaporize them, or at least try to. But coming from him, with him being mere inches away from Zeus's face, with his glasses off to show his glowing red eyes and his eye-white being pitch black.
The mere threat is terrifying enough that it leaves Zeus shivering on the ground in fear.
"U-Understood." Zeus said.
"Lovely." he said in a low voice, before releasing them from his power as his eyes returned to their normal colors.
"Nice talking with you old chap." he said, his demeanor returning back to his polite, charming, and nonchalant self, "You know, while I'm here, I might visit a few friends of mine. I'll let you know when my business has concluded. Tschüss!" he waved at them putting his aviators back on before fading from existence.
There you go, another chapter, hope you enjoyed. Many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite, or follows this story.
Take care of yourself, get some rest, drink plenty of water and I will see you people next time.