❛006❜

THE NEXT MORNING, percy was moved to cabin three. he looked pretty miserable, but ivy couldn't blame him. the kids were acting like he had some rare disease.

nobody mentioned the hellhound to percy. the attack had scared everybody. it sent two messages: one, that percy was the son of the sea god; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill him. and the camp borders weren't going to stop them, either.

the campers steered clear of percy as much as possible. except ivy, in her reasoning, she had nothing to hold against percy other than she plainly didn't like him. maybe a prophecy that predicts the end of the world, but it was too early to tell if percy was really the one. cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with him after what he'd done to the ares folks in the woods, so his lessons with luke became one-on-one.

annabeth still taught percy greek in the morning, along with ivy's latin lessons. but annabeth's always seemed distracted. every time percy would open his mouth, the blonde would scowl at him. as her best friend, ivy knew annabeth was thinking about athena's rivalry with poseidon.

even clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she had percy up on her blacklist.

that night, ivy had a bad dream. not the worst, but bad.

she was running along the beach in a storm. this time, there was a city behind her. not new york. the sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.

about a hundred meters down the surf, two men were fighting. they looked like wrestlers, muscular, with beards, and long hair. both wore flowing greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. they grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

ivy wanted to stop them. she didn't know why. but the harder she ran, the more the wind blew her back, until she was running on the spot, her heels digging uselessly in the sand.

over the roar of the storm, ivy could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, give it back! give it back! like a petulant child demanding for a toy.

the waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying her with salt.

she yelled, stop it! trying to even use her charmspeak, stop fighting!

the ground shook. laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned her blood to ice.

"come down, little hero," the voice crooned. "come down!"

the sand split beneath ivy, opening up a crevice straight down to the centre of the earth. my feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.

ivy woke up, sure she was falling.

she was still in her bed in cabin ten. her body told her it was morning, and the fact that only a few of her siblings were in bed. but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. a storm was brewing. ivy hadn't dreamed that.

just then, there was a knock on the cabin door.

"come in!"

gabriel stepped in, he looked anxious. picking at his nails, while shuffling on his feet. "my dad wants to see you"

frowning, ivy got up from the bed, walking towards him and asked. "why?"

"he wouldn't tell me," he went to bite his nails. ivy slapped his hands away. "but he called on percy, too."

"it's probably nothing," she tried to appease his anxiousness, but this summoning to the big house made her anxious too.. "i– uh, i need to get dressed." ivy turned away, waking to the bathroom.

"i'll wait here," gabriel took a seat on her bed. "i'll walk you to the big house." ivy nodded, but didn't say anything else as she continued walking.

nervously getting dressed in an oversized grey david bowie t-shirt that belongs to tobias, mom jean shorts, and sneakers. she left her hair down, brushing the knots out. applying her strawberry lip gloss, gabriel and ivy walked out of cabin ten. both thinking this summon could only mean one thing, a quest.

over the long island sound, a hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. she didn't worry about an umbrella, it never rains at camp half-blood unless chiron wanted it. still, this storm made ivy uneasy. it was bigger than she had ever seen.

at the volleyball pit, the kids from apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyr's. the dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. they kept their eyes on the storm.

ivy and gabriel walked up to the front of the big house, percy wasn't there yet. dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his atrocious tiger-striped hawaiian shirt with his diet coke. chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. they were playing against invisible opponents– two sets of cards hovering in the air.

"we're waiting for percy, dear," chiron said. ivy nodded, walked closer to him and leaned against his chair. gabriel made a move to follow, not wanting to leave her alone, but mr d interrupted.

"son," dionysus said sternly. "you've got activities to get to."

"but–" gabriel started. he stopped himself at mr d's warning look. gabriel bowed his head in defeat, looking apologetically at ivy.

the daughter of aphrodite reached for his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. with a smile she told him, "i'll find you later, okay?" he nodded hesitantly, but left. not wanting to test dionysus's patience.

ivy tugged at the ends of her hair as they waited for percy. a few minutes later, the son of poseidon accompanied by grover made their way to the front porch of the big house.

percy looked like he rolled out of bed, his hair messier than ever. he gave her a questionable look, asking if she knew what was happening. but ivy could only shrug hopelessly.

"well, well," mr d said without looking up. "our little celebrity."

percy didn't move. ivy almost snorted at his expression, he was brooding. she knew it was unintentional by now, it was his resting face.

"come closer," mr d said. "and don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old barnacle-beard is your father."

a net of lighting flashed across of the house.

"blah, blah, blah," dionysus said.

chiron feigned interest in his pinochle game. ivy pretended to assess his cards above him. he had a winning card, ivy noted absentmindedly. grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"if i had my way," dionysus said, "i would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. we'd sweep up your ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. but chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, mr d," chiron put in.

"nonsense," dionysus said. "boy wouldn't feel a thing. nevertheless, i've agreed to restrain myself. i'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"mr d–" chiron warned

"oh, all right," dionysus relented. "there's one more option. but it's deadly foolishness." dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "i'm off to olympus for the emergency meeting. if the boy is still here when i get back, I'll turn him into an atlantic bottlenose. do you understand? and perseus jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what chiron feels you must do."

dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. a security pass to olympus.

he snapped his fingers.

the air seemed to fold and bend around him. he became a holograph, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

chiron smiled percy, but it looked strained. "sit, percy, please. and grover.'

they did.

chiron laid his cards on the table, the winning hand he hadn't got to use.

"tell me, percy," he said. "what did you make of the hellhound?"

ivy made of the hellhound a lot of things. like making her wonder what the fuck was stolen.

percy shifted on his chair. "it scared me," he admitted. "if you hadn't shot it, i'd be dead."

"you'll meet worse, percy. far worse, before you're done."

"done...with that?" he asked cautiously.

"you quest, of course. will you accept it?"

ivy glanced at grover, who was crossing his fingers. this was his opportunity, she realized. he could get his researcher's license and follow his dream. percy looked confused, and the daughter of aphrodite felt the same. why was she sitting here again?

"um, sir," percy said, "you haven't told me what is it yet."

"and you haven't told me what i'm suppose to be doing," ivy piped up.

chiron grimaced. "well, that's the hard part, the details."

isn't it alway, ivy thought.

thunder rumbled across the valley. the storm clouds have now reached the edge of the beach. as far as she could see, the sky and the sea, the sky and the sea were boiling together. the eagle and the horse...the two men fighting...

"poseidon and zeus," percy said exactly what ivy was thinking. "they're fighting over something valuable..."

ivy finished for him, "they're fighting over something that was stolen, aren't they?"

chiron and grover exchanged looks.

the centaur sat forward in his wheelchair. "how do you two know that?"

ivy licked her lips, before she could formulate her thoughts to chiron, percy said, "the weather since christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. then i talked to annabeth and ivy, and they overheard something about a theft. and... i've also been having these dreams."

"i've been having dreams too," ivy had her eyes narrowed at percy. she didn't like sharing anything with him, much less dreams. he didn't look too happy to share, either.

"i knew it," grover said.

"hush, satyr," chiron ordered.

"but it is his quest!" grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "it must be!"

"and it can be ivy's, too." chiron glanced at the daughter of aphrodite, whisking his tail nervously.

"only the oracle can determine." chiron said, stroking his bristly beard. "nevertheless, yes, you are correct. percy's father and zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. they are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. to be precise: a lighting bolt."

ivy almost fell out of her chair.

percy laughed nervously. "a what?"

"do not take this lightly," chiron warned "i'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. i'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."

"oh," percy said. she restrained from shaking him to make him understand the gravity of what was happening.

"zeus's master bolt," chiron said, getting worked up now. "the symbol of his power, from which all other lighting bolts are patterned. the first weapon made by the cyclopes for the war against the titans, the bolt that sheered the top off mount etna and hurled kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

"and it's missing?" ivy was even more confused on how she fitted into all of this. the dreams were probably just a coincidence.

"stolen," the centaur said.

"by who?" percy asked.

"by whom" chiron corrected. once a teacher, always a teacher. "by you two."

her mouth fell open.

"at least," chiron held up a hand, "that's what zeus thinks. 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. afterwards, 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 forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. but zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"but i didn't–

"i would never–"

"patience and listen, children," chiron said. "zeus has good reason to be suspicious. the forges of the cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lighting. zeus believes poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple zeus from his throne. the only thing zeus wasn't sure about was which hero poseidon used to steal the bolt. poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. now this is where ivy comes in, she's known about the gods for since she was seven and has been in olympus, you studied in the same school for a whole year, and both of you were in the city over the winter holidays. you could easily have snuck into olympus, ivy as an accomplice. zeus believes he has found his thieves."

"i barely even remember olympus!" she hasn't been there since she was eight.

"and i've never been to olympus! zeus is crazy!"

chiron and grover glanced nervously at the sky. ivy's eyes widened slightly as the storm clouds didn't part around camp like normal. they were rolling straight over the valley, sealing them like a coffin lid.

"er, percy..." grover said. "we don't use the c-word to describe the lord of the sky."

"perhaps paranoid," chiron suggested. "then again, poseidon has tried to unseat zeus before. i believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..." he looked at them as if he actually expected them to remember question thirty-eight.

how could anyone accuse her of stealing a god's weapon? sure, she's picked up a few things from luke over the years. but she wasn't that good at stealing. only a son of hermes could pull off a heist like that.

"it was about the golden net" ivy said. "poseidon and hera, plus the other gods that they got on their side. they trapped zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler."

"correct," chiron said. "and zeus has never trusted poseidon since. of course, poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. he took great offence at the accusation. the two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. and now, you two have come along– the proverbial last straw."

"but we're just kids!" percy exclaimed. ivy glared at the floor, they were all just kids. the gods simply didn't care for that.

"percy," grover cut in, "if you were zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after world war ii, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you...wouldn't that put a twist in you toga?"

"good thing togas are out of fashion," ivy crossed her arms stubbornly.

"but i didn't– we didn't do anything," percy said. "poseidon– my dad –he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"

chiron sighed. "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?"

"bad?"

ivy rolled her eyes at his response, "more like barbaric."

"imagine the world in chaos," chiron explained. "nature at war with itself. olympians forced to choose sides between zeus and poseidon. destruction. carnage. millions dead. western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the trojan war look like a water-balloon fight."

percy paled, "barbaric."

"and you, percy jackson, would be the first to feel zeus's wrath. with ivy following along that fate."

it started to rain. volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.

they had brought this storm to camp half-blood. zeus was punishing her home because of them. ivy was furious. she glanced at percy, his eyes that looked like a murderous hurricane, his jaw clenched so tightly it might snap, and he was gripping at the arms of his chair. yea, her furiousness was matched.

"so we have to find the rotten bolt," ivy said. "and return it to zeus."

"what better peace offering," chiron said, "than to have the son of poseidon return zeus's property?"

"If poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" percy asked.

"i believe i know." chiron's expression was grim. "part of a prophecy i had years ago... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. but before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. you must seek the counsel of the oracle."

"why can't you tell us where the bolt is beforehand? and why do i have to lead the quest and not ivy? she has way more experience."

that was the closest thing to a compliment she'll get from percy, but not in the situation where he wanted to dump a quest on her.

"because you're the son of poseidon, and zeus's sees her more as your sidekick. and if i told you where the bolt was, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."

"we'll i have some words to share with zeus's because i'm nobody's sidekick, but other than that, i agree with your reasoning, chiron." even if it's to give back the petulant child his lollipop, quests weren't something to take lightly.

chiron turned to percy, "so do you agree, then?"

the son of poseidon looked at grover, who nodded encouragingly. easy for him to say. they were the ones zeus's wanted dead on the spot.

"all right," percy said. "it's better than being turned into a dolphin."

"then it's time you consulted the oracle," chiron said. "go upstairs, percy jackson, to the attic. when you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."

chiron needed an award for best speech of encouragement.

percy left the table. ivy bit down on her cheek in thought, it was now downing on her that she was really going on a quest. the guilt was eating her up, this has been annabeth's dream for years. and now she just ripped it away from her like a hungry shark. she didn't even want this quest!

clearing her throat ivy asked, "where does my mother stand in this, chiron?"

"aphrodite has showed her support poseidon, she isn't happy for her daughter's to be called a thief or for life to be threatened." he said.

ivy was touched, she had never thought her mother cared much. sure, aphrodite has given her gifts, like her armour that fits her perfectly and never get damaged, or on her birthday where she restocks her wardrobe annually. but she wasn't treated any differently than her siblings, they all got gifts, they all met her in dreams to have tea together once or twice.

as her blissful feeling of her mother's love passed, ivy's mind drifted to annabeth again. oh, she was going to hate her.

"chiron," ivy started frantically. "what about annabeth? she's always wanted a quest. and now–"

the air shimmered beside her, "–she's going on a quest with her best friend." annabeth appeared with a satisfied look on her face.

ivy stood up, throwing her arms around the blonde, "oh, thank the fucking gods. i wouldn't be able to keep percy alive without you." annabeth pulled out of the hug while chuckling.

"more like you wouldn't be able to keep from killing him," she said.

"not true, my self-restraint is excellent," ivy rebutted, although in some parts she knew it was true.

steps could be heard from the stairs, percy was coming down. without another word, annabeth shoved her yankees cap in her head. disappearing from sight. ivy sat back down, tugging at the ends of her hair in anticipation.

"well?" chiron asked percy when he arrived.

he slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. " she said i would retrieve what was stolen."

grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a diet coke can. "that's great!"

what did the oracle say exactly?" chiron pressed. "this is important."

"she...she said i would go west and face a god who had turned. i would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"i knew it," grover said.

ivy knew there was something else, prophecies had more lines.

chiron didn't look so satisfied, either. "anything else?"

"no," percy said. he was lying, she realized. "that's about it."

but she didn't want to know the truth. most times, obliviousness is bliss.

the centaur studied percy. "very well, percy. but know this: the oracle's words often have double meanings. don't dwell on them too much. the truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

it was obvious to everyone in the room that the son of poseidon was holding back something bad.

"okay," percy said. "so where do we go? who's this god in the west?"

"ah, think, percy" chiron said. if zeus and poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"

"somebody else who wants to take over?" he guessed.

"yes, quite. someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided aeons 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."

ivy thought back to her dreams, the evil voice who spoke from the ground. but it didn't feel right. didn't he always appear on his throne?

"hades," percy said.

"i don't think it is," ivy spoke up. "it's just..i don't know, i just don't think it's him."

chiron seemed to agree with percy, "then who else? the lord of the death is the only possibility."

the daughter of aphrodite couldn't give him an answer. her knowledge in mythology was extensive, but nothing came to mind.

a scrap of aluminium dribbled out of grover's mouth. "whoa, wait. wh–what?"

"a fury came after percy," chiron reminded both grover and ivy. "she watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. furies obey only one lord: hades."

"yes, but– but hades hates all heroes," Grover protested.

"exactly," ivy tried to protest. "especially if he has found out percy is a son of poseidon."

"a hellhound got into the forest," chiron continued. "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 he can take on the quest."

"great," percy muttered. "that's two major gods who want to kill me. go me."

"but a quest to..." grover swallowed. "i mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like maine? maine's very nice this time of year."

the satyr was dreading to go to the underworld, ivy wasn't particularly scared of that. at least, not right now. she just didn't want to play cat and mouse for the bolt to end up in the hands of someone else, and the quest to end up being in vain.

"hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," chiron insisted. "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."

ivy's insides twisted, she was getting blamed for something she didn't do. and it made her angry. because once again, the gods have found a way to place all their mistakes unto demigods.

grover was trembling. he'd started eating pinochle cards like potato crisps.

then there was grover. ivy wanted him to reach his dream of getting his searcher's license, to try and look for pan, and be the first satyr to succeed. she was going to help him get that fucking license no matter what.

"look, if we know it's hades," percy told chiron. "why can't we just tell the other gods? zeus or poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

"suspecting and knowing are not the same," chiron said. "besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades– and i imagine poseidon does– they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. that is another ancient rule. heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. they can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

"are you trying to say that percy's being used?" ivy asked.

"i'm saying it's no accident poseidon has claimed him now. it's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. he needs you, percy."

percy looked at chiron. "you've known i was poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"

'"i had my suspicions. as i said...i've spoken to the oracle, too."

ivy got a feeling chiron was talking about the great prophecy. she knew the prophecy, and how terrifying it sounded. but she wouldn't worry about that right now.

"So let me get this straight," percy said. "i'm supposed to go to the underworld and confront the lord of the dead."

"check," chiron said.

"find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

"check."

"and get it back to olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."

"that's about right."

ivy looked at grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.

"did i mention that maine is very nice this time of year?' he asked weakly.

even when the atmosphere was grim, the daughter of aphrodite snorted at her friend.

"you don't have to go," percy told him. "i can't ask that of you."

"oh..." he shifted his hooves. "no... it's just that satyrs and underground places... well..."

he took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminium bits off his t-shirt. "you saved my life, percy. if... if you're serious about wanting me along, i won't let you down."

ivy felt relieved at having grover with them. and she was also happy for him, he was one step closer to his dream.

"all the way, g-man." percy looked between chiron and ivy. "so where do we go? the Oracle just said to go west."

"the entrance to the underworld is always in the west. it moves from age to age, just like olympus. so it's in america right now," ivy told him.

"where?"

the centaur and the daughter of aphrodite shared a look of surprise. the answer seemed obvious, at least to them in it. "i thought that would be obvious enough. the entrance to the underworld is in los angeles," chiron said.

"oh," percy said. "naturally. so we just get on a plane–"

"no!" grover shrieked. "percy, what are you thinking? have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

he shook his head, an embarrassed blush creeped up his neck.

"percy, think," chiron said. "you are the son of the sea god. your father's bitterest rival is zeus, lord of the sky. your mother knew better than to trust you in an aeroplane. you would be in zeus's domain. you would never come down again alive."

overhead, lightning crackled. thunder boomed. ivy thought it was it exaggerated.

"okay," percy said, determined not to look at the storm. "so, i'll travel overland."

"that's right," chiron said. "tree companions may accompany you. ivy is one. grover is the second. the other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."

"gee," percy said, mocking surprise. "who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

the air shimmered behind chiron.

annabeth became visible, stuffing her yankees cap into her back pocket.

"i've been waiting a long time for a quest, percy,' she said. "athena is no fan of poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, i'm the best person to keep you from messing up. or to keep ivy from accidentally killing you."

"and here i thought you had faith in me," ivy said with feigh hurt.

annabeth shrugged, "and where ivy goes, i follow."

"can't have one without the other, seaweed brain," ivy stated.

percy rolled his eyes, "okay, then. i suppose you brewed an awesome plan with annabeth. right, princess?"

ivy felt a blush threatening to color her cheeks, she narrowed her eyes. "do you want our help or not?"

"a foursome," he said with a sigh. "that'll work."

"excellent," chiron said. "this afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in manhattan. after that, you are on your own."

lightning flashed. rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.

"no time to waste," chiron said. "i think you should all get packing."

a speaks!

i'm so immature i laughed at the word foursome HAHAHSH. and please i blushed when percy called ivy princess thats embarrasing. 

thoughts?