The Missing Gods

Chapter Two - We Get Some Bad News

Annabeth and I trudged up the hill towards the Big House, my mind racing as to what this new situation could be. As we neared the front steps, Chiron stepped out in full centaur form to meet us, his war bow strung across his back and a devastating look in his eyes. I looked quickly at Annabeth, who merely returned my confusion, and then refocused my attention on Chiron as more and more campers started to fill in around us, awaiting news.

"Campers!" Chiron said, briefly looking at each individual and clearing his throat before beginning. "I have shocking and terrible news."

A ripple of mutters went through the crowd of demigods, some humorous, as if to say "when isn't there terrible news?" and some nervous, contemplating what this next quest would encompass after all we'd already accomplished.

Chiron cleared his throat again, this time pointedly, waiting for the crowd to settle down again before he hit us with the death ray. "I have gotten word from Olympus that a god has gone missing."

There was a loud exhale as the campers returned to their relaxed state. I knew it was common for the gods to go off and party with a couple wood nymphs for a decade or two, so I was still waiting to hear the dreadful news that Chiron promised us.

"This is rather unlike history," Chiron continued, "this time three gods have disappeared at once."

This statement brought the muttering demigods to a stop, as no one could remember an instance of three gods missing at once, though I had my money on Aphrodite and Ares... Maybe Hephaestus was the third and he was off strangling the war god. Chiron began speaking again, and I caught a glimpse of Annabeth leaning forward next to me, as if she could inhale his words.

"Percy, perhaps you would like a moment alone?" Chiron suggested, while I stupidly stared at him with my mouth open, shaking the image of Annabeth's silken hair falling forward into her face as she listened to Chiron.

"What?" I asked smartly, and a few campers halfheartedly chuckled, but refrained from outright laughing at me, which I took as a dreadful sign. I turned to Annabeth again and realized she was staring at me with shock and pity, reaching toward me as if I were a dying bird that needed help.

"Percy... Your father is one of the missing," Chiron repeated, and this time the words sunk in.

"Missing?" I said, trying to put the pieces together. "How do they know? He's been known to disappear with a wood nymph from time to time." I wanted to groan at my lack of tact and prayed that my dad wasn't listening to me talk about his love affairs, many of which have led to surprise cyclops babies like my brother Tyson. Kind of a touchy subject with most demigods.

"Hades and Zeus have both disappeared as well," Chiron gravely said. "Their war tokens have remained. This leads us to believe that they did not go willingly from Olympus."

Annabeth put her arm around my shoulders as the floor dropped out from beneath me. My mind went numb and it wasn't because of the snowflakes still piling up on my head. I fought to understand the gravity of what Chiron was saying, but all I could do was picture my dad's trident, sitting on an empty throne. I knew he would never leave his trident, just like I could never part from Riptide.