•as the world caves in•

•the oracle•

Charlie ran over. "Coriane, are you okay?"

I nodded and held my hand on my cheek. "Yeah, I'll just need to get to the infirmary."

"Silena is gonna kill me for letting this happen." Charlie groaned.

I laughed but coughed in pain shortly after. "No, she'll know it was my fault for storming in."

Charlie helped me up once we heard the horn announce the end of the game.

We stumbled our way towards the middle of the battle field, where Thalia shoved Percy ten feet back. Percy retaliated by blasting water into her face.

I staggered forwards to try and stop them but the arrow in my leg was killing me. Percy seemed to notice for a moment and he seemed like he was about to come over, but Thalia quickly stopped that.

"You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy fumed, he hated it when she called him that, he barley tolerated it with me. "Bring it, Pinecone Face!"

Thalia raised her spear, and lighting came down, blasting Percy. He fell back, smoke all around him. He raised the whole creek, ready to send it all crashing on her, but suddenly, he stopped.

I looked over and saw green smoke, and I knew what it was.

The Oracle shuffled her way until she was in the middle of us.

I am the sprit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, Seeker, and ask.

Zoë swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle opened her mouth, and Artemis lay in chains, holding up what looked like the sky. It seemed exactly like what Percy said happened to Annabeth.

Six shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The band of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
The Titan's curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent's hand.

Then the mist retreated to her mouth and she lay lifeless like I'd seen once in the attic, like she had for years.

•.•.•.•

A council of cabin leaders was called, and although I technically wasn't a cabin leader, nobody said anything when I sat down at the Ping-Pong table with a large cup of nectar, some small ambrosia blocks, and my leg in all its bloody glory on top of the table.

Silena gave me a rub on the shoulder as she looked at the state of my leg. She had one of her smiles she would put on to make me feel better, but she looked more sad when she did it.

I looked to my side to see Percy, staring me down, more like my leg. I knew he probably blamed himself since he ran off to try to get the Hunters. His eyes flicked up to mine, and he held the gaze before looking at his lap.

Zoë glared at Chiron. "This is pointless. There is no time for talk, our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. I was still shocked at how different she looked from just about a day with the Hunters. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to free the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go."

Zoë hummed in agreement.

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

"No!" Zoë snapped. "The Hunters do not need the help."

"Your," Thalia mumbled. "Nobody has said thy for three hundred years. Get with the times."

Zoë looked hurt, so I decided to switch the topic back to what we needed to discuss. "Look, we're supposed to work together. I know most of camp and most of you Hunters don't want to work, but if we want to save Artemis and Annabeth, we have to be a team."

I sipped on my nectar as the others discussed who would go. Three campers and three Hunters made sense, but than there would be arguments on who got to go.

I looked at Silena. "It should be three and three, Percy is right."

Zoë glared at Silena. "I see, I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed and turned away. "I'm not doing anything with Hunters. Don't look at me!"

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

I slammed my glass on the table and slid my chair back, standing up, Silena doing the same.

I was totally prepared to pull my sword out. "Don't you dare-!"

Percy pulled me down while Charlie grabbed Silena. I looked over at him, and he only shook his head while rubbing a thumb over my hand. I turned away from him, although he kept doing it.

"I'll go," Thalia announced. "Grover will be good as well. Coriane can come. There, three campers."

Percy stood this time. "Uh, hello? I've known Annabeth longer than you."

Thalia looked like she was going to kill him. "Oh, what? I'm in a tree and you swoop in, so suddenly you're better? Back me up here, Cor."

Her saying that was weird. Nobody really called me that apart from Percy, Annabeth, Silena, and Grover on the rare occasion. Other people said it to get a rise.

"He is a boy." Zoë said. "We will not travel with him."

I watched Percy slowly sit as the council was concluded, almost nothing in him. I felt horrible and I knew that somehow, he needed to be on this quest.