I 06. I

𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔

❝ council ❞

ARIADNE SAT AROUND THE PING-PONG TABLE. She held a random eight ball in her hands, not knowing why it was there but let it move between them as counselors followed one another through the door and into the Big House.

Her father was hosting a council meeting between all the counselors of each cabin to discuss what they were to do about the prophecy. She hoped he would allow her to go, but knowing him, he may not.

Percy and Grover has been tasked with carrying the Oracle back from the creek and towards the attic where it once was, a job she was happy she wasn't elected to have.

The girl had been ordered to rest her leg and Zoe, who had fired the arrow, sent her a brief apology which sounded dry and insincere. Her wound had closed up thanks to some nectar and ambrosia, but the dull pain lingered.

Thalia has tried helping the girl up once Percy and Grover left, but the brunette shunned her and had Silena and Beckendorf carry her back to Chiron who took her back to the Big House. She knew it hurt the daughter of Zeus, but frankly, she could care less. Both her and Percy were starting to become assholes.

Speaking of Percy, he had yet to say anything to her. Not even when he walked down the stairs from the attic did he make eye contact, as if avoiding her and the fact that he wasn't the only one upset by Annabeth's missing person.

And since Annabeth was the counselor of Athena cabin when she was present, her spot had been filled by a camper who had never met Ariadne, therefore, having no name for them. They had blonde hair and grey eyes like every other child of Athena did.

The eight ball weighed heavily in her hand as she messed around with it, using her nail to trace the black eight painted onto the front.

She sat in a wooden chair near her father and Chiron, Thalia standing next to her much to her dismay. Percy stood a bit away from the girl, but enough to see the bandage around her thigh and the glare in her eyes.

Her father swiped his hand over the table and snacks appeared along with cans of Diet Coke, not even Ariadne opened one. There was Cheez Whiz and crackers, a combination Ariadne had never liked.

One thing she was happy about was that Beckendorf and Silena day across from her, sending the girl smiles to allow some comfort for her. All of the Ares kids had broken limbs thanks to the Hunters and couldn't send a representative, currently sitting in the infirmary.

Zoe seemed to always have the need to voice an opinion, because she said, "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped before scooping up a few crackers and Ping-Pong balls  to spray with the topping.

"There is no time for fall," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

He had a point. They didn't know where Artemis was, and they definitely couldn't just send the Hunters out of camp without a good place to start.

"West!" Bianca said. The girl looked much different in her few days with the Hunters. Her hair had been braided like Zoe's, allowing everyone to see her face. She had a few freckles splashed across her nose, eyes dark enough to vaguely reminds her of someone famous—someone who had a name she couldn't recall. Her skin held a faint glow and it looked as if she had been working out, bathed in the moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go."

Zoe agreed. "Yes. Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia remarked. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe protested. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

The Hunter seemed to hesitated, trying to figure out how to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We don't need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

Her father seemed amused by the statement. He swirled the can of Diet Coke under his nose. "Or do they? One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

"Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

Her father raised his eyebrows at his daughter's glare, shrugging her off as she continued staring at the eight ball in her hands.

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to against one?"

Zoe grimace at the idea, earring Thalia a pint on the invisible score chart they were Leung track of in their heads.

"We must not delay," Chiron told them. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," her father muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

Zoe nodded at the centaur. "Artemis must be present at the solstice. She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Her father questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

He nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

Chiron looked at the table. "I must agree with Zoe. Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possible even more important; to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and three," Percy said.

Everyone looked to him, minus Ariadne, who was busy tracing the eight on the ball once more. Even Thalia forgot to ignore him.

"We're supposed to have five," he said. "Three Hunters, three from Camp Half-Blood. That's more than fair."

Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks.

Ariade finally looked towards the boy, noticing that when he was speaking, he had been watching her rather than everyone else. The girl raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."

Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of the rare monster, whatever it is, she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

The Hunter picked up a Ping-Pong paddle, looking ready to wack everyone with it. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

All eyes turned towards Dionysus, who was busy flipping through a wine magazine. His daughter shook her head, the man needed to stop admiring the wine and focus on the situation at hand.

"Well, dont look at me. I a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible part conversation."

"Chiron," Percy said, "you don't have any idea about the monster?"

The centaur's lips pursed. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if Reuther of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster mag be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. Ariadne noted how he said you and not we. "It sounds like at least two of the six are going to die."

"One shall be lost in the land without rain," Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

People muttered in agreement. Percy eyes the brunette who was playing with he eight ball and noticed how quiet she had been. Usually, she was the most vocal about getting a quest, especially if it dealt with Annabeth.

"And the Titan's curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

Chiron and Zoe exchanges a nervous look, whatever they were thinking, it wasn't something either of them wanted to share.

Grover was between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls as he spoke, "One shall perish by a parent's hand. How is that possible? Whose parent would want to kill them."

A heavy silence fell over the table.

Ariadne let her eyes shift towards her father who was sipping on his Diet Coke. The man's purple eyes bore into her own, flashing slightly which caused her to look away.

"There will be deaths," Chiron decoded. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Her father said, causing everyone to look at him. He was now flipping through another wine magazine. "Ah pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

The brunette shifted and launched the eight ball at his head, knowing it would send a message but cause no harm. Her father sent her a raised eyebrow as it disappeared with a swipe of his hand, smirking at his daughter's glare.

"Percy is right," Ariadne told them. It was the first time she had spoken at all during the meeting. "Three campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoe spoke sarcastically. "And I suppose your friend would wish to volunteer?" She motioned towards Silena, who blushed.

"I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stolls dragged her back.

Ariadne has grabbed a Ping-Pong ball and was ready to chuck it at the Hunter, wishing she had another eight ball to cause even more damage. As she made a move sea-green eyes warned her not to, cashing the girl to glare at them and Zoe.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He had a booming voice, causing people to listen when he spoke. Most of the time, when Ariadne had talked with him, he was telling jokes. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood confidently. "I shall go, of course and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one of purple the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a t-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a large silver t-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a long list of national parks under it. "It's a collectors item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

They were up to something, which wasn't odd for the campers. But obviously, Zoe didn't know them as well as they did. She took the shirt, "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

This stunned the di Angelo girl. "Me? But... I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

Bianca's mouth opened and closed. It would be her first quest, and Ariadne knew the pressure that now rested on her shoulders.

"And for the campers?" Chiron asked. He looked at Percy and Ariadne who watched him, knowing that both of them were wanting in on the quest.

"Me!" Grover rose so quickly, he bumped into the Ping-Pong table. He brushed away scraps of his food from his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe's nose wrinkled. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood

"But he is a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

The Hunter wavered. She eventually gave in. "Very well. And the second camper?"

"I'll go." Thalia stood as if daring anyone to go against her decision.

"And the third?" Zoe questioned.

Ariadne opened she mouth, but a the fill-in counselor for Athena spoke up first. "I'll do it."

Zoe watched in surprise, eyeing the blonde girl who wished to join them. "You?"

The girl nodded.

"What is the name?"

The girl hesitated, "Hailey. Hailey Masterson. Daughter of Athena."

And if Percy and Ariadne were checking their math, neither of them and spots left to join. "Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said. "We want to go too." He gestured towards the brunette who nodded.

Thalia not Chiron said anything. The centaur's eyes were sad.

"Oh," Grover said. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy and Ariadne have to go. I didn't mean... I'll stay. Percy should go in my place." He looked over at Hailey who was now raising her chin and puffing her chest out. "I'm sure Hailey wouldn't mind Ariadne go in her place—"

"I would," Hailey said. "I volunteered to go."

Zoe nodded. "They cannot. He is a boy," towards Percy. "I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy. And Hailey has volunteered."

"You traveled here with him," Ariadne reminded her as she stood from her chair. The brunette leaned against the table as to help with the stinging in her leg.

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"What about Grover?" Percy demanded.

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

Ariadne was becoming frustrated. "We have to go? We need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoe questioner. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

The brunette was ready to pounce onto the girl, but stopped as she noticed Percy blush, causing her gut to twist oddly. "No!" he said. "I mean, partly. I just feel like we're supposed to go!"

Nobody helped them out. And Ariadne has never felt so small in her life. Silena, Beckendorf and the Stolls looked at the table with newfound interest. Her father had no care, and Bianca was watching them with pity.

"No," Zoe said flatly. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."

Percy backed down, causing the brunette to clench the Ping-Pong ball harder in her hand at the decision.

Chiron concluded the council. "So be it. Thalia, Grover and Hailey will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods present company included, we hope—be with you."

Counselors left the Big House, the Hunters present leaving first to prepare for tomorrow. As Silena and Beckendorf made their way towards the brunette to help her leave, she shrugged them off and limped pit of the room and down the stairs of the porch.

At that moment, she didn't want anyone's help.

The girl was making her way towards her cabin rather than dinner where everyone else was heading. She was stopped by Thalia who ran in front of her. "Hey."

Ariadne ignored the girl and hobbled as fast as she could, but the daughter of Zeus refused to let her leave. "Ariadne, come on."

"Leave me alone, Thalia."

"Ariadne, I'll find Annabeth, okay? If that's what you're upset about—"

She blew up. "That's not it!" Thalia stumbled back in surprise. "I'm upset over the fact that no one stood up for me, when the fact is that my best friend is missing and this quest could be the answer to find her!"

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "No need to get pissy with me, Phoenix. I'm only trying to help."

"Help how? All you do is get angry at anyone who doesn't follow your directions. Yeah, you and Zoe are going to be the perfect leaders for the quest when all you're going to do is argue and fight."

The daughter of Zeus strides forward towards the girl, her electric blue eyes threatening to shock the girl. Ariadne didn't care about anything that Thalia could do it her, she was angry. "Listen up, Grape Face. I'm trying to help and find Annabeth. If you haven't noticed, a goddess is missing."

Ariadne glowered. "Yeah, and so is the girl who ran across the country with you at age seven."

Thunder rolled across the sky, causing the dining pavilion to watch hesitantly. Chiron eyes the two figures in the distance with a sigh.

"I know. You seem to forget that Annabeth is my friend to. She's not just yours."

"Seems like it. I mean, you did forget about her entire existence during that council meeting."

And with that, Ariadne trudged towards the cabins as Thalia huffed and puffed towards the dining pavilion for dinner.

At the last minute, she changed her direction. Instead of her cabin, she was heading towards Poseidon, her and Percy needed to talk.

The girl knocked on cabin three's door, a trident glowing over it. Her ring seemed to glow brighter whenever it was near the cabin, she smiled slightly at the faint sea-green light on her finger.

The cabin outside was pretty in her opinion. Gray stone covered the outer walls with various colored seashells and coral pieces scattered in it, reminding her of an ocean floor.

She waited a few seconds before the door swung open to reveal a surprised Percy, who's eyes were wide at the sight of her standing on the porch.

Ariadne pursed her lips. "Can I come in?"

He nodded, stepping aside as she walked into the cabin. Her eyes noticed the six empty bunks, causing her heart to twist for the boy who had no one to live with.

The walls glowed a faint blue, and the bedsheets were a light blue with waves decorations them. There was a nightstand next to the bunks and a lamp stuck to the wall.

A fountain of red sea rock had a fish on top which spout out water with a coral decoration. She looked at the golden drachmas in the water, knowing his father added it so they could talk more than they did.

A blue couch rested next to large windows which overlooked the lake, a sight that made her smile. And her nose picked up salt, feeling as if she was standing on the beach of the most beautiful ocean that existed. Sea shells were on either side of the door, the ground was a dark gray.

Percy crosses his arms. "You're not supposed to be here."

She chuckled, "Guess I'll leave then."

He shook his head. "I meant girls aren't allowed in guys cabins."

"Eh," she shrugged. "The amount of times I've caught a Hermes cabin member sneaking into the Aphrodite cabin is enough for me to have no care."

Percy let his arms fall and he sat on his bunk bed, looking at the ground while she sat next to him. "How's your leg?"

It was stinging, but it wasn't enough to make her stop moving. The pain would dull at some point and she would be back to normal.

"Like an arrow was shot through it."

He smiled at her joke before letting it drop. "I'm sorry we didn't get the quest. I know how much you wanted to get Annabeth back."

Her purple eyes met his sea-green, softening at the sight of the waves which seemed to calm her down instantly. "That's okay. Everyone's worried about Artemis. I just... everyone's forgotten about Annabeth and I hate it."

"I haven't," he told her. "I never will. Because she's our best friend, and we've been through too much to let her go."

Ariadne felt her gut twist, she inferred it was due to the talk about Annabeth being gone for good. "You talk as if you like her."

Percy grew quite after that.

Her heart burned and she felt her gut twist. Aphrodite must have been throwing a fit, or maybe, she made this shown. Maybe she wanted Perch to debate between the two girls, to throw in a plot twist.

Either way, she hated it.

"We need to find someway to get to her."

He nodded. The boy watched as her eyes met the Minotaur horn which hung over his bunk, her eyes narrowing.

She glanced over at her ring and noticed the trident was pulsing brightly, her head tilted before the girl looked over at the boy. She took one of his hand and sighed, knowing that if she didn't tell him, it would taunt her until Aphrodite decided to let him know.

"Percy—"

The cabin door burst open and a voice shouted throughout the cabin as hooves pounded against the stone floor. "Percy, I'm so sorry!"

Grover has taken the spot next to Percy on his left side, not even noticing that Ariadne was there as she let go of the god boy's hand.

Percy wanted to hold it again, but he'd himself back as Grover continued speaking, "I didn't know they'd—that you'd—honest!"

"It's okay," Percy lied. "Really. It's fine."

Grover's lower lip trembled. "I wasn't even thinking... I was so focused on helping Artemis. But I promise, I'll look everywhere for Annabeth. If I can find her, I will."

The god boy nodded.

"Grover." Chiron stood at the cabin door, walking through before kneeling in his horse legs before the bunk. "Perhaps you'd let me have a word with Percy and Ariadne?"

"Sure," the satyr sniffled, finally noticing the girl.

Chiron waited.

"Oh. You mean alone. Sure, Chiron." He gave Percy and the girl a miserable look. "See? Nobody needs a goat."

He stood and trotted out the door while blond his nose into his sleeve.

Chiron sighed at the two, and based by the look he sent the girl, she knew after they left that he had a few words to say towards her. "Percy, Ariadne, I don't pretend to understand prophecies."

"Yeah," Percy said. "Well, maybe that's because they don't make any sense."

The centaur gazed at the saltwater spring in the corner of the room. "Thalia would not have been my first choice to go on this quest. She's too impetuous. She acts without thinking. She is too sure of herself."

Percy looked slightly hopeful. "Would you have chose me?"

"Frankly, no," he said. "You and Thalia are much alike." He sent the brunette girl a smile. "But... if it was you and Ariadne, I would say yes."

The boy blushed at his comment, which caused the centaur to smile at him and the girl who was looking away. "Thanks a lot," she said.

Chiron focused on Percy. "The different is that you are les sure of yourself than Thalia. That could be good or bad. But one this i can say: both of you together would be a dangerous thing."

"We could handle it," Percy said.

"The way you handled it at the creek tonight?"

Point to Chiron.

"Perhaps it is for the best," Chiron mused. "You can go home to your mother for the holidays. If we need you, we can call."

"Yeah. Maybe."

Percy removed Riptide from his pocket and set it in his nightstand. Her ring glowed brighter when it was near the pen, which caused her to gently take the pen and study it.

Chiron grimaced at the faint purple glow around the pen when the ring made contact. "It's no wonder Zoe doesn't want you along, I suppose. Not while you're carrying that particular weapon."

The two demigods shared a look before she placed the pen back down. As they went o ask, Chiron pulled a golden drachma from his saddlebag and tossed it to the boy. "Call your mother, Percy. Let her know you're coming home in the morning. And, ah, for what it's worth... I almost volunteered for this quest myself. I would have gone, if not for the last line."

"One shall perish by a parent's hand. Yeah."

Kronos was Chiron's father. And it made perfect sense for that line to mean him if the centaur went on the quest. Kronos had no care for anyone but himself, even when it came to his own children.

"Chiron," Percy said. "You know what this Titan's curse is, don't you?"

His face darkened and Ariadne suddenly felt queasy at the look. "Let us hope the prophecy does not mean what I think. Now, good night, Percy. And your time will come. I'm convinced of that. There's no need to rush."

Chiron looked at the girl. "You—bed."

Her eyes widened as he left, knowing that she would be yelled at. As she faced Percy he took her hand in his, interlocking their finger awhile dragging her to her feet.

The girl felt his arms wrap around her waist a she wrapped hers around his neck, and seeing as she was a few inches taller than him, she could seen over his head. "We'll figure something out, Perc. I promise."

"For Annabeth."

At those words she fell sad, as if her heart had been broken. "For Annabeth."

With that, the brunette left his arms and the comfort of his presence and drifted off into the snowy night, not knowing what to expect next.