The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

47. Talking Of A Prophecy

"You really had to punch her?" Ethan asked.

Y/N just groaned. He didn't want to talk about it.

"I mean . . . " Ethan went on, "why?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "I just lost it. I can't help it with her. She's just so . . . argh!"

"Watch her head!" Grover warned as they went up the stairs. But it was too late.

Bonk! The Oracle's mummified head whacked against the trapdoor frame and dust flew.

You'd have thought the Oracle could've walked back into the attic by herself. Instead, Y/N, Ethan, Percy and Grover were elected to carry her—proof that they weren't the most popular now.

"Ah, man." Percy set her down and checked for damage. "Did I break anything?"

"I don't think one more mark will show," Ethan said.

"Anyway, better to climb her up quick," Y/N said. "She's heavy, and I'd like to get changed. I don't want to smell like a mummy all day."

They hauled her up and set her on her tripod stood, huffing and sweating.

She didn't thank them. Not that Y/N expected it, but a "thank you" would've been nice. They had never asked her to come down from here.

"Well," Grover said, "that was gross."

Percy sighed. "I almost miss the Sea of Monsters."

"We all miss it," Ethan said. "A free cruise and holidays on some tropical islands . . . that would be nice now."

"Compared to the Hunters, Clarisse seemed nice," Y/N said. Ethan, Percy and Grover stared at him. "I mean, tell me that you prefer Zoë to Clarisse. If one of you dare, I'll show the others a liar."

They exchanged looks, and none of them said anything.

Y/N shrugged. "You see. Now, let's go. We have other things to do."

And the first one was to find why the prophecy said nothing, not even a hint, about Annabeth. Well, not from what he understood. He didn't understand much, right, but still; why had he had that dream if it wasn't for a prophecy to mention Annabeth? There had to be something. She was out there, somewhere, and prophecy or no he would find her. He would not give her up like Bianca had Nico.

"What will Chiron do?" Percy asked.

"I wish I knew," Y/N said.

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

"Same," Ethan said. "We've got to go searching for Annabeth, and the sooner the better."

Grover looked at Ethan, confused. Then he blushed. "Ok, right. That too. Of course."

"Why?" Ethan asked.

"What were you thinking?" Percy added.

Grover clopped his hooves uneasily. "Just something the manticore said, about the Great Stirring. I can't help but wonder . . . if all those ancient powers are waking up, maybe . . . maybe not all of them are evil."

"You mean Pan." Y/N didn't know what to think of it. He very well knew about Grover's life. The nature god had gone missing two thousand years ago. He was rumored to have died, but the satyrs didn't believe that. They were determined to find him. They'd been searching in vain for centuries, and Grover was convinced he would be the one to succeed. This year, with Chiron putting all the satyrs on emergency duty to find half-bloods, Grover hadn't been able to continue his search. It must've been driving him nuts. Yet Y/N's priority was Annabeth. And he had a hard time not wanting others to have the same priority. Especially with Grover, a friend.