Hey People, I'm back! I deeply apologize for having to do that. Taking a break is not cool. I did say that I would get rid of the A/N when I posted this part, but the comments on that are so funny, I think I'll keep it around. The picture above is of the drawing Percy did in the last chapter (cred to me).
Percy woke up the next morning not feeling refreshed at all. Groaning, he rolled over and fell off of his bed. Continuing to groan, he stood up and stretched, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The boy Hunter breathed in deeply, capturing the scent of the ocean.
"Time to give Chiron the bad news." He muttered.
Percy quickly threw on a set of clothes, mostly dark blue, and a sliver jacket. He put Anaklusmos in his pocket and stepped out of his cabin. The instant he did, he stopped in his tracks. Percy knew about the ultimate climate control that Camp Half-Blood has, but it seemed not to be working. A winter storm like something that has never been seen on Long Island seems to have focused itself on the camp. Percy quickly shuts the door to his cabin and tries to peer through the blowing snow.
"Great." He mutters, "Almost no visibility."
Percy jumps down off of the footstep to his cabin and finds that the snow has come up to his knees.
"Someone annoyed the wrong immortal." He says, still talking to himself.
"That seems most likely." A voice calls from to Percy's left.
The boy Hunter jumps, "Who's there?" He damands.
"Zoe!" The person calls out.
"Oh, hey Z!" Percy replys, "Nice weather we're having, huh?"
She laughs, "Yes, quite."
"I can't see you." Percy says, where exactly are you?"
"Right next to you." He feels a tap on his shoulder.
"Oh, there you are." The boy Hunter says, "Why don't we get in my cabin. We can talk there."
The two Hunters stumble back into the Poseidon cabin and Percy slams the door shut behind them.
"That was unexpected." Percy breathes out.
"What were you doing out there?" Zoe demands.
"I need to talk to Chiron." Percy says.
"What's wrong? You know that you can always come to the Hunters for advice."
"Yeah...It's just that- What are you doing?" Percy cuts himself off as Zoe begins walking over to his desk.
What is this this?" Zoe asks, picking up the boy Hunter's sketchbook.
"That? Oh, that's nothing of importance. I was actually going to put it away now. So can I have it?"
"I want to see what it is." The lieutenant says mischievously.
"It's nothing! Now hand it over."
"If it's nothing, then why are you so desperate to have it?"
Percy bit back a curse. Zoe trapped him. In his moment of hesitation, Percy had failed to notice Zoe opening the sketchbook. The Hunter pauses for a second, then starts to flip quickly through the book.
"My gods. Percy, these are amazing drawings!" Zoe stares at the boy.
"There're okay." Percy blushes.
Zoe flips to one particular picture: a pack of wolves. Most were a dull grey, like timber wolves, with a light glow around them, not dissimilar to the aura surrounding someone blessed by Artemis. In the front of the pack was a larger wolf, brighter and with a stronger aura. This one seemed to be the leader. A smaller black wolf raced around the feet of the rest, who all seemed to surround the younger one protectively.
Most of the drawings seemed to have a focus on wolves, falcons, animals, and nature in general. There were very few pictures of humans, the most notable being a sketch of the Hunters' camp. It seemed that Percy managed to fit every memeber of the Hunt, aside from himself, into the picture. Phoebe, Kayla, and Amelia were all practicing archery at the target range. Cassandra tended to the fire. Artemis stood proudly in the centre of the camp. Zoe was sharpening an arrow. The moon shined down on the entire camp, casting a nice glow on the entire camp scene.
"Drawing helps me clear my head." Percy mumbles, but Zoe is so engrossed in the sketchbook, that she doesn't seem to notice.
Zoe keeps flipping through the book until she comes to the last picture; the one of the tree.
"This one looks different." She frowns.
"I drew that last night." Percy whispers.
"What was that." Zoe catches everything.
"I drew that last night." Percy says, a little louder, "After I found out that Thalia's Tree had been poisoned."
"Poisoned?!" Zoe couldn't believe her ears. She knew the story of Thalia's Tree, and how it protects the camp.
"I know a way to heal her." Percy says, "I even know where to go! If Chiron would let me go..."
"Why would you need his approval?" Zoe asks, "The Hunters stand with you."
"No!" Percy says suddenly, "I couldn't ask you girls to do that! This is my problem to deal with."
"You're problem?" Zoe looks at him, confused.
"Sorry, slip of the tongue." Percy corrects quickly, "I meant the camp's problem."
"Perseus..." Zoe looks at the boy Hunter sternly.
"I could never get anything past you Z." Percy sighs, "I've kinda... Spoken with Thalia's soul."
"What?" Zoe is honestly confused for the first time in her long life.
Percy shrugs, "I don't get it either, and neither does Thalia, but apparently I'm the only one who can see her. And...I kind of swore on the River Styx to help her..." Percy trails off when he sees Zoe smiling slightly, "What?"
"Oh, nothing." Zoe says, "Well, if you swore on the RIver Styx, you are now bound to help her. We can't have her die. That would not be beneficial to your health."
You would help me with this?" Percy looks at Zoe hopefully.
In complete honesty, Percy had not been looking forward to telling Chiron about the poisoning, or leaving on his own.
"We can't bring the entire Hunt." Zoe murmurs to herself, "That would arrouse suspicion. Perhaps it would be best if just the two of us were to go. I could put Phoebe in charge of the Hunters until we returned..."
"Thank you big sis." Percy leaps forward and hugs the two thousand year old Huntress.
"You must really care about this Thalia." Zoe says.
"What? No! Well, yes of course I do. I mean she is trapped as a tree, and poisoned. Her spirit keeps the camp safe. Of course I care what happens to her." Percy rushes out.
"Hey, look." Zoe says suddenly, "The storm has let up a little bit. It''s still strong enough to cover us, but now we can sneak out."
"The exit is over that way." Percy points in the direction of Half-Blood Hill, "Meet up there when you are done with the Hunters."
Zoe nods and leaves the cabin. As soon as she leaves, Percy begins to quickly pack up. After twenty seconds, he is ready. Slowly opening the cabin door, the boy Hunter loos around quickly. Seeing no one, he sprints [Can you sprint through heavy snow?] All the way to Thalia's Pine..
"Thals?" Percy calls out, "You there firecracker?"
"Ugh..." A moan from above sounds.
Percy carefully climbs up the tree to the usual branch. Thalia is lying down on her stomach, head hanging over the side.
"You don't look so good." Percy says worridly.
"No Styx Sherlock." She moans.
"You're sick, yet you still manage to insult me." Percy says, "Sorry, wrong time for a joke."
"What are you doing out in this weather?" Thalia asks, sitting up.
"Zoe and I are sneaking out of camp." Percy says, "I know how to heal you, but by the looks of it, we don't have a lot of time."
"Yeah..." She grits her teeth.
"Perseus?" A voice whispers from below.
"That's Zoe." Percy says, "I've got to go."
"Then go!" Thalia says, "I'm not getting any better."
Percy smiles slightly at her snappiness, then jumps down out of the tree.
"What were you doing up there?" Zoe asks.
"Talking with Thalia." Percy says, Now let's go.
The moment the two of them step across the camp border, the storm seems to lessen.
"Maybe it was just focused on the camp?" Percy's guess comes out more like a question.
"What are you two doing?" A voice demands from in front of the two Hunters.
The snow swirls tighter, then coalesced into the figure of a woman in a tight-fitting white dress. Her piercing blue eyes glare at Percy and Zoe.
"Lady Khione." Zoe says respectfully, "We are merely leaving the camp in search of a way to heal our friend."
"That friend wouldn't happen to be the one who is currently poisoned, would it?" The snow goddess asks innocently.
Percy immediately draws Riptide, "What do you know about that?"
"Only that Kronos has plans for what happens after the daughter of Zeus' soul fades away." Khione smiles frigidly.
"So you work for Annabeth?" Percy asks.
Khione's face morphs into a scowl, "As if that bitch could ever be more valuable than me! For that comment, you shall feel the wrath of my frozen storm!"
Frozen... Something clicks in Percy's brain. Snow is just frozen water, and if he can control water...
"I'm sorry Lady Khione, but I'd rather not become a Percicle before next Tuesday." Percy says, "Zoe, grab on!"
Zoe grasps Percy's hand as he closes his eyes, focusing on the storm around him. The snow begins to swirl tighter around the two Hunters, before becoming more solid below the two.
"This is gonna feel weird." Percy yells over the storm to Zoe, "Just go with it!"
Zoe nods, even though Percy can't see it. The son of Poseidon focuses on the particles of water below him, forcing them upwards, and carrying the two Hunters with them. Being careful to maintain complete focus, Percy uses the storm surrounding the two to carefully direct them away from camp and towards the city. Khione screams in rage below them as they sail away fgaster than Percy thought possible.
Fifteen minutes later, Percy sets the two of them down at a bus station and collapses from exhaustion.
"That..." He breathes out, "Was... a... lot... more... draining... than... I... Thought."
"How did you even do that?" Zoe demands.
"Snow... Frozen... Water..." He grasps out, then taking a deep breath, he speaks normally, "I honestly didn't know if that would work."
Zoe stares at the boy Hunter, slightly shocked.
"The storm is gone." Percy notes, "Probably to prevent me from trying something like that again."
"So what exactly is the plan?" ZOe asks.
"Well, we don't have enough money for one train ticket, let alone two." Percy says, "So we'll have to either sneak onto a train, or find another way to Mt. Rushmore."
"That is where this...thing we are seeking is?" Zoe asks.
"It's a healing crystal." Percy says, "It can restore anything it touches to it's most healthiest state."
"Okay." Zoe nods in understanding.
"There is only one small problem..." Percy says.
"Let me guess, the enemy is already at Mt. Rushmore." Zoe finishes.
"Exactly." Percy says, "So we need to hurry and pray that they haven't gotten to it yet. Last I heard, Kronos' army hasn't been able to reach it."
"That's good news." Zoe says.
At that moment, a bus pulls into the station. The door opens and the two Hunters get on.
"You two got tickets?" The driver asks.
Zoe snaps her fingers, "We already payed, remember?"
"Oh, right." The driver says, "I must've dropped the tickets, you two are good."
"Thank you." Zoe says.
The two Hunters walk down the aisle and take a seat closer to the back of the bus.
Alright, there we go! Another chapter good to go. What do you people think of it? Remember to check out my other stories!
Vote. Comment. And as always: be awesome.
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