Chapter 8

As I waited for the Hunter's to leave, I started playing with my hair. I didn't even realize I was doing it until all of a sudden my hair was tangled in my hair. I had to slowly untangle my hand from my hair. By the time I finished getting my hand out of my hair, the Hunters had finished their little chat and I saw Percy talking to Nico.

Suddenly, Percy took off at a sprint and I dashed after him. He reached the top of Half-Blood Hill and I screeched to a top besides him. He looked around I was sure he had heard me. Luckily, he seemed to shake it off and watched the van for the quest start to drive away. I heard a beating of wings and watched as Blackjack landed next to Percy and started nuzzling some tufts of grass. I heard him talking to Percy. I placed a hand against the pegasus's neck and I felt him stiffen. I quickly started whispering in his ear.

"I'm Ashley, Percy's half-sister. Percy is planning on going on this quest along and I don't plan on letting him. I want to accompany him. Can you please keep quiet and not let him know that I'm behind him on you? Please."

I could feel him hesitate, so I quickly added as I took out my secret supplies out of my backpack, "I brought a donut."

That seemed to make up his mind. He nodded his head quickly. I put the donut in Blackjack's mouth and jumped on Blackjack's back. Percy climbed on right in front of me, almost brushing up against me. I clamped my legs around Blackjack placed my hands in front of me to keep me steady. I couldn't hold onto Percy because then he would know I was here.

I almost nodded off a few times. Blackjack and Percy were definitely talking part of the time, but I wasn't paying attention. It was freezing up here and the cold was probably the only reason I was still awake. I was starting to get used to the cold now and I was beginning to get drowsy again. Suddenly I felt Blackjack land and I realized that I had no idea where we were.

This was part of chapter nine. I hadn't gotten to chapter nine yet. For all I knew, we were going to get attacked by monsters very, very soon. I was about to freak out, but I quickly took a deep breath and was able to calm down.

Percy and Blackjack had a brief exchange about something or other and we were about to take off again. That is, until some grape vines decided to step in. I looked down to see that vines had wrapped around Blackjack's legs and Percy and I's ankles. Whoever was stopping us knew that I was there, even though I was invisible.

Dionysus decided to drop in. He was floating, leaning against the building with his leopard-skin suit and black hair being blown every which way in the wind.

"Going somewhere?" Mr. D asked.

God alert! Blackjack yelled. It's the wine dude!

Mr. D sighed. "The next person, or horse, who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

"Mr. D." I could tell Percy was trying to keep calm but was really panicking inside. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do I want? You though, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you leaving without permission?"

"Well . . . maybe."

"I should throw both of you off this building, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down."

Percy seemed confused at the words, "both of you", but then a vine came and swiped my invisibility cap of my head and placed it in my lap. Percy stared at me and I gave a little wave.

"Hi."

Percy just gave me a look that pretty clearly said, "What are you doing?!"

I just gave a little shrug and Percy rolled his eyes at me. He looked back to Mr. D without saying a word to me. I guess he decided that now wasn't the best time to have an argument.

"Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you? I know Ashley hasn't done anything to you."

Mr. D's eyes burned with purple flames. "You two are heroes. I need no other reason."

"I have to go on this quest! I've got to help my friends. That's something you-"

"I knew there was no way of stopping Percy," I said, cutting Percy's comment off. I was pretty sure by the tone that it would just make the situation worse. "So I decided that I wasn't going to let him go alone."

"Did you ever tell you about Ariadne?" Mr. D asked, completely ignoring our comments. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

"They go married," Percy said. "Happily ever after. The end."

I rolled my eyes. I was pretty sure Dionysus wouldn't be telling us this story if that's how it ended. I was pretty sure I'd never heard this story before, but it popped into my head. I knew it like how I knew that Chiron was a centaur.

"Actually," I said, much quieter than I mean. I spoke up a little more. "That's not exactly what happened. Theseus told her that he would marry her. Than he dumped her on a little island called Naxos. She was heartbroken."

Mr. D eyes seemed to soften at my words. "That's how I found her. Crying her eyes out and alone. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's wrong," Percy admitted. "But that was thousands of years ago. What's that got to do with me?"

Any softness left Mr. D's eyes. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp."

I smiled a little. "That's sweet."

Mr. D glanced at me sharply.

"I mean the part where you fell in love with her and made her immortal, not the century long punishment thing."

Percy seemed to not have heard my comment because he said a little bewildered. "You're . . . you're married? But I thought you got in trouble for chasing a wood nymph ---"

"My point is you heroes never change. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. So you'll excuse me if I have no love for heroes. That are a selfish, ungrateful lot. Ask Ariadne. Or Medea. For that matter, as Zoe Nightshade."

"What happened to Zoe?" I asked.

Mr. D waved his hand. "Go. Follow your silly friends."

The vines uncurled from around us.

"Really?" I asked.

"You're . . . letting us go? Just like that?" Percy asked.

"The Prophecy says at least two of you will die. Perhaps I'll get lucky and you, Song of Poseidon, will be one of them. But mark my words, boy, live or die, you will prove no better than the other heroes."

As soon as he finished, he snapped his fingers and caused his image to fold up like he was a piece of cardboard. There was a small pop and he was gone.

Too close, Blackjack said.

Percy nodded and looked back at me.

"Are you really planning on coming with me? You have one day of training. That's it. You could get hurt. You could get killed! You---"

"Percy!" I interrupted. "I'll be fine. Besides, I have absolutely no memory. I find a brother, my only connection to an actual life. I'm not planning on letting you go that easily." I hesitated and them added, "Please."

Percy faintly smiled. He turned back around and said, "Come on, Blackjack. I'll buy you some donuts in New Jersey."

Ta da! Happy Thanksgiving to all you Americans. Happy random Thursday to you who are not Americans! Have a good day and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)