Adore

Chapter Eight

A-Questing We Will Go!

The next morning, Chiron moved me to Cabin Three. Now, I know some of you would LIKE the fact that you're all alone in a big, lonely cabin, but I hated it. Sure, I was in charge of what I had to do at camp, and that I was given freedom, but still, being along like that made me feel like I was in a large viewing cage at the zoo, being stared on curiously people, or in this case, the campers. Just when I felt that I was actually part of a large loving family, I was suddenly held at arm's length. I knew that someday my dad would claim me and all, but still, I never expected him to be Poseidon of all people. Thalia's fate seemed a more likely option for my future, instead of fighting monsters, seeing as I wasn't supposed to exist.

Nobody talked about the hellhound incident. Well, nobody talked about it in my presence. But I was sure they were talking about it behind my back. It had scared everybody, mainly because it put a glaring red sign above my head that said: "DAUGHTER OF THE SEA GOD HERE! ATTACK AT WILL!" Heck, monsters could even get inside the camp, which, before that incident, everyone had considered a safe haven for demigods. Everyone stayed clear of me, wary of being caught with me or angering me. Well, except my group of friends.

Cabin Eleven wasn't afraid of me, but they were still cautious. I still had lessons with them, though I was always partnered with Luke or Ethan, seeing as no one would like to test my skills with a blade, with Poseidon being a natural at one, they said. I even had no idea my dad has a weapon other than his Trident! Travis and Connor wouldn't partner with me because they said that if I could go toe to toe with Luke, they'd probably get flattened in under a minute. I just rolled my eyes at them, amused by their antics.

Anyways, they still had lessons with me, though all of them would stare at me when it was Luke's turn to partner up with me. Whereas, Ethan would seriously take it easy with me, seeing as I could beat him without breaking a sweat, (and I KNOW he's a good swordsman, with the way he fights others!) Luke would push me harder than ever. I know he's worried about me, and that's the thought that made me endure his Spartan lessons. Though, after each lesson, Luke, Ethan, Travis and Connor would always be around me, escorting me anywhere actually. I asked what they were doing, but Luke just smiled and winked at me causing me to groan, and the others to laugh at us, or, in Ethan's case, shake his head in exasperation. Really now, I don't know whether to thank them for their concern, or just plain throttle Luke. Why him only? 'Coz he's probably the one who talked the others into this.

Malcolm still met with me, though it seems that Annabeth was getting on his case now more than ever, saying that 'he shouldn't associate with sea scum like me,' and all of that. The cabin is indifferent to my parentage, but most seem to tolerate Annabeth now, seemingly assuming that Annabeth knew my parentage in the first place, and was just upholding their mother's rivalry with my father through me. Malcolm told me that he thought that was utter bull. There were some like him, who thought that one's parentage doesn't influence all your personality and decisions, though they were a pretty small number. Heck, whenever Annabeth would catch sight of me, Malcom said that he'd hear her muttering under her breath: "My quest... Poseidon?... Gotta change the plan."

Clarisse and her siblings was the only cabin not to change around me. I know Cabin Eleven is trying their hardest, but I know that many of them are the unclaimed kids, and are feeling jealous that my dad's an Olympian, or cared enough to tell me that I was his, even though in the process he was endangering my life. So, I loved Cabin Eleven even more, with me understanding what was going on through their heads, and yet they were still trying to not make me feel alone.

Though, when I moved to Cabin Three, something weird happened to me the last two nights I've slept there. When I was sleeping with Luke in Cabin Eleven, I slept peacefully, never even having nightmares. But now, these two nights, I've had the worst nightmares of my entire life. The dreams are connected in some way, seeing as the first one had me at Montauk, watching a magnificent white horse and a majestic golden eagle fighting it out on the surf. I tried to reach them, to stop them fighting, but it seemed I was running still in place, never moving closer to the two fighting animals. Though, when the eagle was about to attack the horse's eyes, I woke up, violently. I was actually glad for the first time that I was alone in my cabin, because I would only panic others with my screaming.

The second dream was similar to the first, although instead of animals, there were two men, in green and blue Greek togas, fighting, and instead of Montauk, we were at a beach somewhere west of New York, with its low hills and palm trees. The blue robbed one was yelling 'Give it back!' to the green robbed one. As I tried to move towards them, the ground below me split up, swallowing me whole. Throughout both dreams, I heard a voice, a voice jeering at me to try and stop them, that try as I might, I would never succeed. But, on the second dream, as I woke up, screaming, there came a pounding on my cabin door.

"Who-who's there?" I asked, clutching my blanket like a lifeline. "Perce? Percy, are you ok?" Luke's voice floated out to me. Immediately, I got out of bed, ran to the door, flung it open, and hugged him for all that I was worth, crying my eyes out. Luke was shocked, his body tense, but immediately wrapped me in his arms, comforting me. Gods. I knew what my dreams meant. Dad is fighting with Zeus and it's all my fault. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have been born.

Luke must've heard my mumblings for he forced me to look at him, his face concerned. "Perce, it's not your fault for being born. Your father loves you very much. He's risking being at war with Zeus so that he could claim you as his daughter. It's not your fault. Shh. Don't cry." I just hugged him, hiding my face on his chest, crying. Luke sighed as he pulled the two of us inside the cabin, and sat us down on the nearest bunk bed. He continued to stroke my hair, comforting me, lulling me. "Shh. I'm here, Perce. I'm here. Sleep, ok? I'll be here when you wake up."

Sunlight was flooding the cabin, irritating me enough to rouse me from my slumber. I groaned, irritated, immediately burying my face into my pillow. My pillow vibrated and rumbled, laughing at me. .... Wait. Since when does a pillow laugh at you? My eyes shot open and the first thing that I see was an orange clad chest. Memories of last night flooded to my brain, making my face heat up. I squealed and pushed him away, in the process catapulting off the bed and landing onto the cabin floor. I looked at the bed, and Luke was still lying there looking at me, smirking his annoying, sexy smirk. I pointed at him, incredulous. "You actually stayed here!?" I all but screamed. Luke just sighed and put up his hands in a surrender gesture, but his eyes were twinkling with mirth. "You know I could never leave you crying, Mademoiselle." I stared at him, gaping. Damn him for being so suave!

Luke smiled and stood up, rolling his neck to get rid of all the kinks. "Well, as fun as last night was, Mademoiselle, could I use your bathroom? I really don't want to go out looking like this. Well, unless you want them to get the wrong idea." His smirk was evil. Truly, truly evil. "Sh-shut up. Pervert." I just blushed and pointed him to the bathroom. He laughed as he went. Sexy bastard.

When he got out, I shot out of the bed and in the blink of an eye, I was inside the bathroom. Luke just laughed at me from the outside and told me he was gonna wait for me to be finished. I just sighed and did my morning routine. When I had freshened up, I opened the door, my eyes immediately honing on to Luke, seeing as he was leaning against the wall closest to the cabin door. Gods. Didn't he say he was going to look presentable? WHY then was he looking like he did a quick tumble in bed!? I gaped at him, questioning him. He just smiled and moved to open the door, holding it open for me. I just sighed and went outside, with him following me, sauntering out of the cabin.

I KNEW we attracted a lot of stares, but dutifully ignored them all, intent on asking Luke a question that was buzzing in my head. "Luke, what were you doing outside last night?" Luke laughed. "I guess it's really not worth keeping secrets from you, Mademoiselle." I raised an eyebrow, curious. Luke laughed again and leaned closer, whispering. "I secretly had Beckendorf commission me a new weapon. I recently discovered a useful ability of mine that needed specialized weapons. So I asked him to make one for me. Last night I was practicing with the weapon when I heard a scream. Well, I went in the direction of the scream and found that it was coming from your cabin. So, I knocked." "What, exactly, is that new ability of yours, then?" I asked him, my hand having found purchase on my hips. "Secret." He winked at me. ARRRRGH!

I glared at him, but he just laughed, ignoring my glare as we headed for the mess pavilion. Well, tried to, because the next minute, I felt an ominous aura behind us. When I turned to look, Ethan was there, his arms crossed, a glare focused solely on Luke. "Where have you been all night, Luke?" Luke, at this time, was trying to pacify him, his hands gesturing for Ethan to calm down. "Now, now Ethan, haha. No need to get violent. I was just somewhere there, practicing!" Ethan's glare intensified, making me shiver even though it wasn't trained on me. Gods, Ethan could be SCARY! "Then why, exactly, did I overhead some Aphrodite girls gossiping that you came out of Percy's cabin with her?" Oh dear. Luke stepped back, laughing nervously. "Th-that was nothing, dude! I-I didn't do anything!" "I see." Ethan cracked his knuckles. Not surprisingly, Luke snapped. He ran. "Get back here, coward, and face the consequences of touching my sister!" Ethan ran after him, shouting at Luke to stop. They ran circles around me, like one of those cartoon gag shows. I just groaned and buried my head on my hands, my face turning a nice shade of scarlet. What a nice way to start the day.

I heard clopping of hooves coming closer to me, and I raised my head out of my hands to see Grover, his face shining with worry. Luke and Ethan, seeing as the satyr was coming, stopped their chase and moved closer to me. "Mare, Mr. D wants to talk to you." Gods. Here it comes. I felt a hand wrapping around one of my own, and an arm wrapping around my shoulders. I looked at Luke and Ethan, thankful. Ethan just smiled at me tenderly, his arm squeezing my shoulders. "Can we come, Grover?" Grover looked at them and me, then nodded, coming closer to us so he could walk with us to the Big House.

I didn't notice it before, seeing as I was ignoring my surroundings, but the weather was strange at camp. I knew that the weather was controlled, seeing as it was always sunny, but today, the sky was overcast, like Zeus was punishing the whole camp. Because of me. Grover, may the gods bless him, spoke up, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Mare, don't feel that way. No one is blaming you." Both the hand and the arm around me tightened, reassuring me. I just swallowed thickly and nodded, thankful.

Grover, Luke, Ethan and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House, where the pinochle table was situated, Mr. D and Chiron were both playing the other two players were that were invisible. Mr. D was the first one to speak. "I told you that if my father learns about you, we'll be kick-starting World War III. Well, it seems like what I said is true." Chiron was feigning interest in his cards. Grover was looking at me nervously, while Luke and Ethan all but glued themselves to my sides.

"Chiron had spoken with Iris, and had thought of this course of action, though I say that this is all utter nonsense, and I would just turn you into an Atlantic bottlenose and send you away to your father, resolving this mess. Chiron had heavily insisted that we give you a chance first, so there you go." Dionysus rose, and the two sets of cards that were floating dropped on the table. "I've been summoned by Father to a Council meeting. If you're still here by the time I get back, I won't be responsible for my actions." He then twisted a card, turning it into a security pass and snapped his fingers. He then vanished from sight, the scent of freshly pressed grapes lingering behind.

Chiron dropped his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't got the chance to use, and smiled at us, though it was strained. "Grover, Luke, Ethan, Percy, please sit." We did, neither of the two relinquishing their hold on me. Chiron's smile turned more genuine in seeing this. "Percy, what did you think about the hellhound?" Luke and Ethan must've understood where the conversation was going, because Luke let go of my hand as he shot out of his seat, his eyes flaring, while Ethan full out hugged me protectively, shaking his head in an emphatic no. "Chiron, you can't be serious! She'll be killed! She can't go on a quest! I was the last one to go and look at what happened to me and my companions! They died and I got this scar!" Luke angrily burst out, pounding the table with his fist. "Chiron, isn't there some other way?" Ethan implored. Chiron just sighed and shook his head. Luke sat down heavily, while Ethan just held me, shaking. Grover looked miserable, torn between encouraging me to go and to not go. I just stayed quiet. A quest? I need to lead a quest? For what? What's going on? Wait. My dreams. It all makes sense now! I straightened in Ethan's embrace, suddenly filled with righteous fury.

"Chiron, is Zeus blaming my dad for something stolen?" Chiron looked surprised but leaned forward, his intense eyes studying me. "How do you know this, Percy?" "Dreams." Luke turned pale, knowing what having dreams meant, while Ethan looked at me with concerned eyes. Grover was trembling as he looked at Chiron, his eyes imploring. Chiron hmmed and stroked his beard. "Only the Oracle can confirm if you are to lead a quest, Percy, but you are correct. Zeus is indeed blaming your father for something being stolen. His Master Bolt." "Oh Hermes!" Luke whispered, looking at me with worried eyes. "Who does Lord Zeus think stole the bolt, Chiron?" Ethan asked him, his face pained. Chiron sighed as he rubbed his face wearily. "He thinks it was Percy." "WHAT!?" I shouted, standing up, making Ethan release me. I started to tremble with anger. How DARE he? How dare he blame my father for something that he probably didn't do!? For something that I DIDN'T DO!?

Chiron sighed and raised a hand, stalling me from starting my rant. "Patience and listen, child. During the Winter Solstice, at the last Council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly-that is f*******n by the Ancient Laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it. So when you were claimed, Zeus thought that he had finally found his culprit."

Gods. So, all of that, because me and Dad were the most likely culprits? "Does he even have proof that Dad let me steal his Master Bolt?" Chiron shook his head. "Percy, Zeus hasn't trusted Poseidon not to overthrow him ever since he and Hera had teamed up and trapped him in the golden net until he promised to become a better ruler. And, now that Poseidon's claimed you, which he believes that you will be used as a weapon against him, he has become paranoid and has started pointing fingers." "But Dad isn't the type to steal someone's weapons just to win!" "And I completely agree with you, Percy. Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the Solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?" "Chaos." "Exactly."

And, would you look at that, it started to rain. Inside camp. A camp that had controlled weather. Gods. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because he believes that we stole his Master Bolt? "So, I have to go on a quest for the stupid bolt?" "Percy, that's a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives you're calling stupid." Grover weakly said. "Not to mention that it is the symbol of Zeus' power. It was the first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top of Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the Master Bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers." Chiron helpfully added. "Thanks for that, Chiron." I collapsed on my chair, despairing. Luke held my hand again, squeezing it for comfort, while Ethan rested his on my shoulder. "Will you accept the quest, Persis Jackson? The fate of the world rests on your answer."

I just sighed. "Why not? Either way, if I don't do something, the world's going to end." "Are you sure, Percy?" Ethan looked at me, concerned. I just smiled at him, though that didn't erase his worried look. Luke's hand was squeezing my own. I nodded to him, and though he did release his hand, his eyes were still flashing with concern. "Then it's time you consulted the Oracle. Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more." Oh joy. "Do you have to be pessimistic, Chiron?" Grover asked him, sweating bullets. Chiron just smiled his strained smile.

Four flights of stairs ended under a green trap door. I pulled the dangling cord, making the door open and the ladder clatter in place. Gods. It smelled like snakes up there. I halted in my ascent. Snakes. Oh dear. NOW what Chiron said made sense. If this quest isn't for me, the Oracle of Delphi would make sure that I won't go back downstairs sane. Still, no guts, no glory, right? I continued up to the attic.

The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things-severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969. Though, when I turned to look by the window, I was startled to find a real, dried up mummy sitting on a stool: a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles. What was this, a trophy museum? Wait. I thought this was the place where the Oracle lived? And, what do you know, right on cue, the mummy sat straight up, and green mist poured out of her mouth, coiling down to the floor creepily. I heard another voice in my head, probably belonging to her, seeing as Lady Aphrodite doesn't have a voice that oddly feels like snakes coiling around me. 'I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.'

Okay. Here goes nothing. "Oracle, what will happen on my quest?" As soon as I finished speaking, the mist on the floor condensed and formed a vision: four men were sitting on a table, playing poker. As their faces became more defined, I bit back the urge to pound them to bits. Oh dear Poseidon. It was Gabe and his poker buddies. I clenched my hands into fists, restraining myself. Though I nearly screamed when Gabe turned to look at me and spoke in the Oracle's voice. 'Four shall go West to face the god who has turned.' The guy on his right looked up from his cards. 'You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned.' The guy on Gabe's left threw in two chips, then looked at me. 'You shall be betrayed by one who a friend calls a friend.' And Eddie, Eddie who always tried to stand up for me, looked at me and delivered the worst line of all. 'And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.' The figures then dissolved into one huge green serpent, slithering up the mummy and disappearing inside her mouth. She reclined back against the wall, as if she hadn't delivered that terrible prophesy a minute ago. My audience with the Oracle was over.

I had a feeling that my face was pretty pale when I went back down, because when they looked at me, Ethan immediately sprang up and guided me to the chair I sat in a while ago, with Luke holding out said chair for me. "What did the Oracle say, Percy?" Chiron questioned me. "The full prophesy?" I sat down heavily on the chair, smiling a little at both Luke and Ethan's show of concern. They just smiled back at me, with Luke reclaiming my hand and Ethan resting his on my shoulder. "If you can remember, child." I took a deep breath and recited the whole thing, even though I was still disconcerted with the last two verses. At least, everyone present here were the ones I would actually trust with the full contents of this grim prophesy. "Four shall go West to face the god who has turned. You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned. You shall be betrayed by one who a friend calls a friend. And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end." "Di immortales." Grover's voice trembled as he clutched the table anxiously. Chiron looked grim, but he looked at me straight in the eyes and gave a small smile. "Remember, Percy, never take prophesies at face-value. They always have double meanings. The truth is not always straight cut, not until the events themselves come to pass."

I was anxious to change the topic so I just nodded, even though there was an uncomfortable curling in my stomach, telling me something bad was going to happen. I shook my head and looked at Chiron, remembering the phrase that stood out, either than the last two lines. "Chiron, who's the 'god who turned' in the west?" Chiron straightened, relieving some of the tension that blanketed us when I spoke about the prophesy. "Ah. Think about it, Percy. If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other, who would stand to gain?" Oh gods. PLEASE don't let it be who I'm thinking about. My face must've betrayed my thoughts because Chiron only nodded grimly. Gods. Luke and Ethan must have caught on to us because both their hands tightened and Ethan's even started to shake. Grover looked confused, so Chiron elaborated. "Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken. Now, who do you think does that sound like, Grover?"

At this point, Grover was vehemently shaking his head, his face pale like marble. "No. No. Please don't tell me Percy need to go to HADES!?" Chiron then started to list everything that happened. "A Fury came after Percy. She watched the young lady until she was sure of her identity, then tried to kill her. Furies obey only one lord: Hades. A hellhound got into the forest. Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before she can take on the quest. Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt. He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth." By this time, all of us were pale. Poor Grover looked close to fainting. I looked at Chiron, desperate to find another way, even if it was just for his sake. "Can't we just tell them it was Hades?" "No, child. Suspecting and knowing are two different things. To accuse someone without definite proof is enough to warrant the start of the war."

I just sighed. "So, no other way?" Chiron shook his head. I looked at Grover, finding him chewing nervously on, wait. Was that the cards? Grover noticed me staring, and blushed a little. "Sorry. I eat stuff when I'm nervous." I just smiled at him. "You don't have to go with me, Hircum." He shook his head. "No, Mare. Even without Mr. D's order, I still would have come with you. You've gotten into enough trouble on your own. Who knows what kinds you'll find in this quest!" "You'll still go with me?" Grover smiled at me, removing half of the ace of hearts from his mouth. "Mare, I'm your best friend. I'll follow you to the Underworld. Literally." I thought my face would break from so much smiling. "Thanks, Hircum." Grover just smiled softly at me.

"Now, who else are you going to take? The Oracle said four." Chiron asked me, getting our attention once again. I looked at my sides, asking them. Ethan smiled at me. "No need to ask, Percy. I'll come." He then ruffled my hair, leaving it in total disarray. "Hey! That was uncalled for!" I pouted, trying to arrange it again. I felt a hand straightening some of the locks, so I turned to look at Luke, finding his hand carding through my hair. Luke just smirked cockily when I looked at him. "No way you're leaving me here, Mademoiselle. Someone's got to be your knight in shining armor." Ethan looked torn between scowling at Luke, and chuckling. Grover was just shaking his head in exasperation and Chiron was smiling at us. I looked at the centaur, smiling back. "We're complete. So, where to?" "The entrance to the Underworld is always in the West, Percy. What's the most prominent city in the west?" "Easy. L.A." Chiron smiled and nodded. "Yes. The entrance is in Los Angeles." "Let me guess. No travelling with airplanes?" "Not unless you want Zeus to have a clear shot at you, Perce." Luke was all business again as his eyes gained a determined glint. I looked at Ethan and found that he had a similar one. "We're going to Hollywood, and get back alive." Grover was nodding, and Chiron smiled at us, a genuine one.

"No time to waste, heroes. Time to get packing."