Tiffany Hanson, A Percy Jackson Fan Fiction

Chapter 11, on to questing

Percy had been moved to Cabin Three the next morning. I had been called to the Big House a few days later for some reason. I was sitting with Mr. D and Chiron, Grover had gone to get Percy. Mr. D and Chiron had started a game of cards. I had turned down their invitation to join, so they had made invisible opponents.

"Well, well." Mr. D said without looking up, and I saw Percy and Grover coming up to join us. "Our little celebrity." Percy didn't say anything. "Come closer. And don't expect me to kowtow to you mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father." Lighting flashed across the sky. Poseidon getting annoyed no doubt. "Blah, blah, blah." Mr. D said absently.

Chiron feigned interest in his cards, and Grover cowered by the railing, clopping his hooves against the porch floor. I glanced nervously at the sky.

"If I had my way," Mr. D continued, "I would cause your molecules to erupt into flames. We'd sweep up the 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 added calmly.

"Nonsense." Dionysus said, waving his hand non-chalently. "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." Mr. D said tiredly. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players cards dropped. "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 then what Chiron feels you must do."

He picked up a card and twisted it, turning it into a security pass for Olympus. He snapped his fingers and he was gone, leaving behind the smell of grapes.

Chiron smiled at Percy, though it was tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover, Tiffany." The three of us sat, and Chiron laid his cards on the table. It was a winning hand. "Tell me Percy." he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

Percy shuddered slightly at the name. "It scared me. If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead." he said quietly.

"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."

"Done... with what?"

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"

Grover was crossing his fingers. I didn't know if I should hope he would, or hope he wouldn't.

"Um, sir," Percy said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."

"Well, that's the hard part, the details."

Thunder rolled across the sky, and Percy looked to the edge of the beach. "Poseidon and Zeus." he said. "They're fighting over something valuable... something that was stolen, aren't they?"

Grover Chiron and I exchanged looks. "How did you know that?" Chiron asked, leaning forward in his wheelchair.

"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And... I've been also having these dreams."

"I knew it." said Grover.

"Hush, satyr." Chiron ordered.

"But it is his quest!" Grover looked way to excited. "It must be!"