The Truths Spoken In The Sea Of Lies

There is always a calm before a storm

Hidden storm raging,

Beneath the indifferent mask,

Beware the calm storm.

***

"The least the Oracle could've done was walk back to the attic by herself." Grover sniffed his hands before he grimaced. "Ugh, I smell like corps !"

Rhea chuckled, yes she did not bring the Oracle back to the attic, like many other Campers, so Grover and another Satyr took the job, poor guys.

He looked wistfully out the second-floor window at the rolling hills covered in snow. "I want to be out there."

"Searching for Annabeth?"

He had a little trouble focusing on her. Then he blushed. "Oh, right. That too. Of course."

"Pan?"

"Yeah...I've let the trail go cold," he said. "I feel restless like I'm missing something really important. He's out there somewhere. I can just feel it."

"He's in the labyrinth if you guys want to know, the poor guy has been slowly dying for thousands of years, the satyr hope is what's keeping the spirit left of the guy behind living," Rhea said.

The two did not respond, it's not like you can say anything to that anyway.

Aidoneus sighed. "You can only hope for him to rest."

"Give it one year and he will," Rhea said.

Thalia then appeared. "Rhea, Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said.

"There goes the peace..."

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of them were underage.

Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers, the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Except for Rhea who started to drink the coke.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had kind of become Zoe's personal assistant) took the other end. Thalia and Grover and Rhea sat along the right, and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left.

The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

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

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. "You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go."

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