Linked Demigods (HIATUS)

Chapter 14: Quest Planning

Percy's POV

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

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe, Bianca and Twilight took the other end, as they were kind of the trio of leaders. Thalia and Grover and I 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."

Twilight nudged her with his elbow, "Don't be such a downer."

"Downer...?" Zoe repeated.

"I'll explain it to you later," Twilight smiled slightly.

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

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West," Twilight said. "As the quest says, we'll need to take some hunters and campers-"

"Wait, campers?" Bianca asked.

"You guys wanted to take me along, and I'm a camper," Twilight shrugged.

"That doesn't count," she muttered.

"Besides," Twilight continued, "It's in the prophecy."

"How do we know you're even one of the people who're meant to go?" Thalia demanded.

"He's going," Zoe said.

"Nah, she deserves to know." Twilight said, "I'm going because the wolf line applies to me."

"Huh?" I asked, "How?"

I wondered whether it had got to do with his curse.

"It'll come around, but yeah, it's got to do with my 'curse'," Twilight said.

"Then it's you and the Hunters. Therefore it's combined," Bianca said, "It all fits."

"Other campers are still needed," Thalia said.

"No! The Hunters don't need thy help!" Zoe exclaimed.

"I'm afraid that we'll need more than that," Chiron sighed, "To cooperate properly, since there's six to go, we'll split it evenly. It's the best way."

"Were supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I dont like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice. "

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting. "

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos' minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations. "

  "Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus. "

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on. "

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis' presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."