mastermind - percy jackson

iii. oracle

"ice shall crack after losing a friend"

After a pretty uneventful day at camp, if you forget when Phoebe tried to kill a camper with a basketball, Cassandra was ready to go to sleep.

But alas, Hypnos must hate her because as soon as she fell asleep Zoe felt the need to shake her awake, whisper yelling "Cassie, wake up!" Because she can deprive Cassandra of sleep but not anyone else.

Zoe did have a panicked look on her face and her eyes were red and puffy, leaving Cassandra to assume she had been crying.

"You better had a damn good reason for waking me up" Cassandra hissed, pulling a hoodie over her head.

"Artemis is in danger. We need to leave." She told her as they left the cabin 

"What?" Cassandra asked her eyes slightly wide.

"I had a dream—no, a nightmare. Artemis is in danger." 

Cassandra sighed. "I guess that's a decent reason. But couldn't it have waited until the sun was out? I mean if Apollo isn't awake, I don't think I should be either. I need my beauty—"

"This cannot wait" Zoe interrupted.

They arrived at the Big House and Zoe banged on the door. The security guard, Argus stepped out and shooed them away.

"This is important. You have to let us in!" Zoe urged while Cassandra stood behind her, with her arms crossed. 

"Just let us in so I can go back to sleep, please?" Argus shook his head and Cassandra sighed before going to join Zoe.

"Let us in!" Zoe yelled again 

"Artemis is in danger!" Cassandra added, still half-asleep.

After twenty more minutes and many, many old English insults from Zoe (along with the additional curse word in a variety of languages from Cassandra), the centaur stepped out of the Big House, wearing pajama bottoms and with his tail in curlers, "What is going on here?" He asked his voice still sounding tired.

"Chiron, Artemis is in trouble. Zoe had a dream. We need a quest." Cassandra summarized.

"I can't give you a quest" He told them.

"Why not?" Zoe asked her eyebrows scrunching together in anger.

"You are Artemis's huntresses. You need her permission."

 "How are we supposed to get Artemis's permission if Artemis is lost?"  Zoe deadpanned.

Cassandra's jaw dropped and Chiron even seemed shocked "She's lost?" Zoe nodded still glaring at the centaur. 

"You have to let us leave Chiron. Now." Cassandra said through gritted teeth.

"I can't let you leave. Artemis is a goddess, I am sure that she will be fine. Now go back to bed" He instructed, not sounding convinced. Cassandra gave him a harsh glare.

"We need to leave. Artemis is lost" Zoe repeated.

"I cannot let you leave. I'm sorry Zoe and Cassandra. Truly. But for now you need to go back to sleep and prepare for capture the flag tomorrow." He told them before going back into the Big House and Argus pushing them away from the Big House.

"Ugh that cumberworld, fopdoodle!" Zoe ranted, using old English insults. Cassandra would have snorted if Zoe wasn't so mad.

"We'll get a quest" Cassandra assured. She yawned, "But until then, I need my beauty sleep. And don't wake me up again or you'll be the next person who goes missing."