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chapter sixty. ☄︎. *. ⋆
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I WALKED INTO THE ARENA just as I'd left it: silent. I could feel everybody's eyes on me, but I did not lift my head and meet anyone's anxious gaze until I sat down on my stone bench.
Even then, Quintus had to initiate the conversation. "Well?" he said.
I met Percy's eyes first. Okay, I'll admit it: I was scared. Just plain scared. That prophecy hadn't been any good. All it talked about was death and falling and final breaths. Not good, yeah? I wanted to talk to Percy about it in private, but I wouldn't be lucky enough to be granted that privacy for a while.
Then I focused back on Quintus. "I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus's workshop."
Nobody cheered. Annabeth wasn't smiling anymore. Percy looked nervous. I knew they all wanted me to lead my own quest, but this one was crazy dangerous. Chris Rodriguez was enough to convince me of that.
Chiron scraped a hoof on the dirt floor. "What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The wording is important."
I took a deep breath, prayed a silent mental prayer to my father, and told them my prophecy.
Now, I didn't tell them everything the Oracle had told me. I didn't want to say anything, but I had no choice. But Chiron never told me I had to recount everything the Oracle said, right? So I simply omitted a few key details. You would've done the same, if your prophecy was as bad as mine. I felt like a failure already.
"Four of you shall go," I began, "but not who you first.. um, opine."
"Opine?" Percy repeated, scrunching up his face in confusion. A few years ago on our quest to save Grover from the Sea of Monsters, Percy had been turned into a guinea pig by the evil sorceress Circe. I guess some of the rodent-like traits must have stayed with him. "Like a pine tree?"
Annabeth shot him a glare. "Opine is an old word for think, or believe. So four will go on the quest, but not who we first believe them to be."
"Four?" Silena sat up. She looked to Chiron. "Is that allowed?"
Even though Chiron kept his eyes on me, he nodded. "If the Oracle says... then, yes. Three campers will accompany you, Theo."
I swallowed. "O..kay," I said. I didn't have a problem with that. I already knew who I wanted to take. But.. "A child of the mind shall be the one to stay behind."
People already began looking Annabeth's direction, so I quickly went on before anybody could say anything aloud. "You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze; the dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."
