𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏: 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧
June 18, 2019
THEY ARRIVED IN LONG ISLAND JUST AFTER CLARISSE WITH THE HELP OF THE CENTAURS' TRAVEL POWERS. Percy rode on Chiron's back, but they didn't talk much, especially not about Kronos. Learning that the guy was Chiron's dad was... interesting, to say the least. And Percy wasn't gonna pry.
When they got to camp, the centaurs were anxious to meet Dionysus. They'd heard about the wild parties he threw, but they were disappointed. The wine god was in no mood to celebrate as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill.
The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius and the Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid. Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia's tree.
Olivia stepped forward to stand right in front of the tree. Clarisse gave her a look and held the Fleece out.
"I mean, it's only 'cause you're on the quest," she huffed.
Percy had a feeling it was deeper than that.
The moment the two draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.
Percy saw Olivia watch with anticipation until the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green. Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt—the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.
Chiron immediately ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.
In the meantime, Clarisse and Olivia were carried on their respective cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where the two got to be honored with laurel wreaths and a lot of celebrating around the campfire. The Apollo kids were especially happy for Olivia's second quest in a row.
Nobody gave Annabeth or Percy a second look. It was as if they'd never left camp at all, and in some roundabout way, it was the best option. If anybody acknowledged that they snuck off for the quest, they'd have to be expelled. And honestly, Percy felt good just being a random camper for a little while.
Later that night, as they were roasting s'mores and listening to the Stoll brothers tell a ghost story about an evil king getting eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries, Clarisse shoved Percy and whispered to him, "Just because you were cool one time, Jackson, don't think you're off the hook with Ares. I'm still waiting for the right opportunity to pulverize you."
He replied to her threat with a grudging smile.
"What?" she demanded.
"Nothing," Percy responded. "Just good to be home."
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June 22, 2019
THE MORNING AFTER THAT, CHIRON ANNOUNCED THE CHARIOT RACES WERE TO CONTINUE, MUCH TO OLIVIA'S DISMAY.
The amount of people in the infirmary was going to go up for sure, death pigeons or not. Percy said that completing the races felt like the right thing to do, but Olivia felt like he was talking a whole lot for someone who was healed by Nestle water.
Tyson shared her sentiment on the chariot races, but was somehow convinced to be the pit crew for Percy and Annabeth, who were teaming up again. He fixed up Athena's chariot and added a new arsenal of features. Percy and Annabeth trained for two days while Alice and Olivia watched them. The deal was that if they won, the prize of no chores for the rest of the month would be split between the two cabins. Alice complained about how bored she was the entire time.
"You sound like your old man," Justin complained, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll strangle you," the daughter of Dionysus warned.
"Will you two losers shut up?" Olivia demanded.
"Whatever," they said in unison.
Now that the chariot race was here, everyone was talking about it relentlessly. They kept glancing nervously toward the sky like they expected to see Stymphalian birds gathering. Luckily, no birds interrupted the day this time. It was just a beautiful summer day with blue sky and plenty of sunshine. The camp had started to look the way it should look: the meadows were green and lush, looking beautiful. he white columns gleamed on the Greek buildings and dryads played happily in the woods.
The Athena carriage gleamed with bronze reinforcements. The wheels were realigned with magical suspension, and the rigging for the horses was so perfectly balanced that the team turned at the slightest tug of the reins. Olivia had no choice but to admire Tyson's handiwork on it.
Olivia blew a kiss and waved to Percy and Annabeth when they looked up at her, while Alice chose to give Percy a middle finger.
"You act like you two are siblings, do you know that?" Aurora asked, sitting next to them.
"Don't let the twins hear you say that," Alice said, gesturing to her older brothers. "They'll get offended, and then they'll cry about it for the next week."
"She's not wrong," Olivia defended. "Why are you always out to get him?"
"Hey, you guys chose to befriend him," Alice shrugged. "I think he's a dingus. And maybe he's getting a little too cocky."
"About what?" Justin asked, poking Aurora's shoulder repeatedly. "Also, I'm not friends with him. I think he's worried about me."
Aurora turned around with a smile. "Me, too!"
"The dude snuck on a quest and wasn't punished in the slightest," Alice said, ignoring the change of subject. "Is that not grounds for my logic?"
"Well, that's because you didn't change your dad's mind," Aurora commented.
"No," Alice corrected. "I changed his mind. He agreed on only suspending them, but then Chiron showed up and was like 'nope, you can't punish them' or whatever."
Olivia rolled her eyes watched as Tyson gifted Percy a little white-and-silver watch. Percy said something that looked like a thanks and put it on. They had a little chat, which must've taken a sad turn, because Percy looked sympathetic, almost sad for a moment, before Percy said something that cheered Tyson up and climbed on board the chariot. He got into position just as Chiron blew the starting signal.
"Hey, Alice," Olivia asked quietly as she watched the chariots begin. "How are you feeling? With the whole curse thing?"
Alice made a face before she hesitantly said, "It's... still weird. But I'm not cursed. I at least know what it is now. Dad says I'm developing madness powers. Like, actually now."
Olivia hummed. "Cool. I made a ball of shadows when we escaped Luke," she said.
"I learned how to make small weather changes to my direct surroundings," Aurora said, turning to the chariots. "It seems like we're all developing powers."
"Except for me," Justin complained.
"Hit the deck!" Aurora screamed. Olivia looked up to see the Apollo chariot's horses riding straight for the crowd. She was far enough away to not have to be worried, but other campers scrambled for cover as the horses leaped the corner of the bleachers and the golden chariot flipped over. The horses galloped back toward their stable, dragging the upside-down chariot behind them.
"Aw, and Will was rooting for them," Lee said from next to her, running a hand through his hair.
"He's gonna try to drown himself in the shower," Olivia joked.
"Oh, gods, he just might," Lee groaned, wiping his face.
The Hephaestus team was gaining on Percy and Annabeth. Olivia could see Beckendorf grinning as he pressed a button on his command console. Steel cables suddenly shot out of the front of his mechanical horses, wrapping around the back rail of Annabeth and Percy's chariot. The system was dirty, with Beckendorf's pulling Percy and Annabeth backward while Beckendorf pulled himself forward.
Dirty, but clever.
"Did you like my newest creation?" Justin said, pointing to the mechanism. "I think it fits perfectly."
"You did that?" Aurora asked. "For the Hephaestus kids? Where's your loyalty to your cabin?"
"Luke's not loyal," he deadpanned. "I guess that makes it a Hermes thing."
"Oh, my gods, no," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Absolutely not."
Percy switched places with Annabeth, uncapping Riptide and fighting back.
"Fun," Alice deadpanned.
"Greek fire!" Annabeth yelled from the chariot as something landed on it.
"Shit!" Percy snapped.
"Get rid of it!" Annabeth shouted, but Percy was stuck battling Beckendorf, and he couldn't kick the heavy bag away.
Then he hit his watch, and Olivia's eyes widened as it grew, its metal rim expanding and spiraling outward. The polished bronze was engraved with designs Olivia couldn't see. But it was heartwarming nonetheless. Tyson had come through.
Percy raised the shield against Beckendorf's sword, and the older boy's blade shattered.
"What?" Olivia heard him shout. "How—"
But Percy knocked him in the chest with his new shield and sent him flying out of his chariot, tumbling in the dirt before he could finish talking.
"Percy!" Annabeth yelled.
Olivia watched in excitement and awe as Percy threw the Greek fire at the Hephaestus chariot's driver's feet. He yelped and dove out of the chariot, which careened away and exploded in green flames behind Percy and Annabeth. The metal horses started short-circuiting, dragging the burning wreck of a chariot around toward Clarisse and the Stoll brothers, who had to swerve to avoid it.
The crowd roared and cheered as Annabeth led them to the finish line. Olivia jumped up and applauded, whistling as Percy and Annabeth stared at each other in utter amazement. She smiled as she looked to see the chariot stop. The campers mobbed Percy and Annabeth. They started chanting their names loudly and proudly, but Annabeth somehow managed to yell over all the noise. "Hold up! Listen! It wasn't just us!"
The crowd didn't want to be quiet, but Annabeth made her voice louder and shouted: "We couldn't have done it without somebody else! We couldn't have won this race or gotten the Fleece or saved Grover or anything! We owe our lives to Tyson, Percy's..."
"Brother!" Percy said, loud enough for everybody to hear. "Tyson, my baby brother."
He sounded so proud, Olivia's heart almost burst right then and there. She raced to Percy as Tyson blushed. The crowd cheered loudly. She threw her arms around Percy, hugging him tightly. The sudden force of her hug made him stumble back, but she said nothing as she planted a kiss on his cheek without thinking. "You did good, Kelp Face."
The roaring got a lot louder after that. The Athena cabin somehow managed to lift Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson onto their shoulders and carry the trio toward the winner's platform, where Chiron was waiting to bestow the laurel wreaths. Olivia smiled as she followed the crowd.
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PERCY'S DAY WAS GOING WELL.
It started off well enough, with him winning the chariot race with Annabeth, and then that afternoon, Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with them before he continued his quest for Pan. He'd gotten a new set of reed pipes that he insisted on playing all day, though, and he hadn't improved since last summer. He played "YMCA," and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around their feet like they were trying to strangle the group. Alice looked like she agreed with them.
Grover offered to dissolve their empathy link, but Percy rejected it despite the risks. Chiron saved him from being wanted by police again and offered to show him how to use the Mist. He called his mom and received a very similar verbal lashing to Olivia's—he still needed to ask her about how she had a phone—but at the end of the day, his mom was no good at staying angry, so she recovered just fine from the heart attack he must've given her.
The campers treated Tyson like a hero and Percy didn't want him to leave, either, but that night, Tyson revealed he was leaving for an internship. Percy has been sad to see his brother go, but he understood it. Tyson had even given him a shield before leaving. Hammered into the bronze were pictures in Ancient Greek style, scenes from their adventures this summer. There was Annabeth slaying a Laistrygonian dodgeball player, Olivia and Percy fighting the bronze bulls on Half-Blood Hill, Tyson riding Rainbow toward the Princess Andromeda, the CSS Birmingham blasting its cannons at Charybdis, and Olivia summoning the actual Princess Andromeda to kick Luke's ass.
"You okay?"
He turned to see Olivia, Annabeth, and Grover standing at the top of the sand dune. He blinked his eyes rapidly and explained that Tyson had left. Turns out they knew.
"You looked like you could use the company," Olivia said.
He sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I kind of could."
She turned to the others and gave them a nod. "I'll catch up with you later."
They accepted her answer and walked off as Olivia sat beside Percy. "Hey," she called, smiling softly. "You okay?"
He pinched his nose and nodded. "I'm good," he replied.
"Good," she said, looking up at the stars. She turned to him and smiled softly. "I'm happy for Tyson. And for you winning the chariot race earlier."
"Thanks," Percy said.
"Speaking of Tyson," Olivia continued, "you seem upset about him leaving."
Percy shook his head. "No, I'm happy for him, too," he said quickly. "I just... I'm gonna miss him. I regret not being better."
"That's what second chances are for," Olivia replied. "Like my parents."
"I wish my parents could have a second chance," Percy admitted.
Olivia fidgeted. "It's not that they got a second chance," she clarified. "It's that my mom is my dad's second chance. She's a reincarnation of my dad's favorite lover. Sorta... it's complicated, okay?"
Percy chuckled. "Yeah, got it."
His eyes drifted to her hands, where she fiddled with the ring he got her. "So you decided to keep the jewelry," he said. "Glad you liked it."
"I liked the painting, too," she replied. "Like I said, it was pretty."
Percy snuck a glance at her, watching as her smile brightened. A soft smile made its way onto his face, too. She turned towards him, her eyes bright, and he felt his heart skip just a little.
Was that just the perfect Olivia had on people?
"I... I should've sent you those letters I wrote," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't."
Olivia looked to him, her eyes a dreamy shade of golden brown. "You wrote me letters?" she asked softly.
Percy felt his cheeks warm. "Um... yeah," he answered slowly. "I wrote them and I just..."
He felt kind of silly now. "I read all of yours... and I would write responses, too, but they always felt dumb next to yours."
Olivia scoffed. "Who cares? I didn't. I just wanted a response at all."
Percy scratched the back of his neck as he thought about the letters he wrote but never sent. "Um..."
She shook her head. "You know what?" she asked. "Don't worry about it."
They sat together in silence for a long moment, Percy occasionally stealing glances at Olivia. She seemed completely and utterly at peace, and just the sight of her like this made him a little less tired, too.
"Percy?" she called.
"Yeah?"
"Are we okay?"
He managed to avoid being caught staring at the last second. He tried to play it off as though he was just now turning to her, too. She gave him a knowing look that told him she felt his eyes on her and he sighed, feeling his face turn red. At her worried look, he recalled her question and briefly considered everything they'd been through since she moved. At every turn, he found that Olivia had no reason to ask if they were okay.
"I don't know," he finally said. "I'm the one who messed up."
"But I forgave you," Olivia said, placing a hand in the sand. "So again, Perseus, I ask you: are we okay?"
He couldn't help but smile as he put his hand over hers. "Yeah," he agreed. "If you're okay, then we're okay, Sunshine."
The conch shell signaling dinner rang. Olivia glanced over her shoulder and gestured for Percy to follow her. "Come on, Kelp Face. It's time for dinner.
She held his hand as they walked back toward the dining pavilion together. Percy felt his face flush again, but thought nothing of it as he followed her lead, just happy to be back to normal.
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June 23, 2019
OF COURSE THINGS COULDN'T BE SIMPLE FOR OLIVIA.
"Rockstar..."
She turned around. "Thalia?"
The only thing there was the pine tree. Thalia's voice had been a figment of her imagination. Olivia took a deep breath as she sat at the tree's roots and looked up at the Fleece dangling from the side. "Hi..."
There was a moment of peaceful silence as she tapped her finger against the roots. "I haven't worn your jacket since last summer," she said teasingly. "Do you think I'd be able to pull it off?"
"Strangest dream..."
"Thalia?" Olivia called again, looking around her. "Hello?"
"Died..."
"No!" Olivia said, shooting up. "No! We're fine! We fixed it! We saved you!"
"Tree..."
Suddenly, it was dark outside, a storm raging across the sky. A golden light shot from the Fleece, thunder rumbling dangerously. Lightning crackled as the tree began to shake. There was a long moment of silence as Olivia approached the tree, cautious and worried.
With no warning, a pale hand appeared in the roots of the tree, snapping up like a zombie rising from their grave.
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