(Percy's POV)
“Sir,” I said, before he could make the announcements.
Tantalus’s eye twitched. “Our kitchen boy has something to say?”
Some Ares campers snickered, but I wasn’t going to let anybody embarrass me into silence. I stood & looked at Nora & Annabeth. Thank the gods, they stood up with me.
I said, “We have an idea to save the camp.”
Dead silence, but I could tell I’d gotten everybody’s interest, because the campfire flared bright yellow.
“Indeed,” Tantalus said blandly. “Well, if it has anything to do with chariots-“
“The Golden Fleece,” I said. “We know where it is.”
The flames burned orange. Before Tantalus could stop me, I blurted out my dream about Grover & Polyphemus’s island. Annabeth stepped in & reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her.
“The Fleece can save the camp,” Nora concluded. “I’m certain of it.”
“Nonsense,” said Tantalus. “We don’t need saving.”
Everybody stared at him until Tantalus started looking uncomfortable.
“Besides,” he added quickly, “the Sea of Monsters? That’s hardly an exact location. You wouldn’t even know where to look.”
“Yes, I would,” I said.
Nora leaned toward me & whispered, “You would?”
I nodded, because Annabeth had jogged something in my memory when she reminded me about our taxi drive with the Gray Sisters. At the time, the information they’d given me made no sense. But now...
“30, 31, 75, 12,” I said.
“Ooo-kay,” Tantalus said. “Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers.”
“They’re sailing coordinates,” I said. “Latitude & longitude. I, uh, learned
about it in social studies.”
Even Nora looked impressed. “30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west.
"He’s right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That is somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!” Annabeth said.
“Wait just a minute,” Tantalus said.
But the campers took up the chant. “We need a quest! We need a quest!”
The flames rose higher.
“It isn’t necessary!” Tantalus insisted.
“WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!”
“Fine!” Tantalus shouted, his eyes blazed with anger. “You brats want me to assign a quest?”
“YES!”
“Very well,” he agreed. “I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece & bring it back to camp. Or die trying.”
My heart filled with excitement. I wasn’t going to let Tantalus scare me. This was what I needed to do. I was going to save Grover & the camp. Nothing would stop me.
“I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle!” Tantalus announced. “And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious.”
Tantalus looked at Nora, Annabeth & me as if he wanted to flay us alive. “The champion should be one who has earned the camp’s respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races & courageous in the camp defense. You shall lead this quest Clarisse!”
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Daughter Of Lightning - Book 2 (A Percy Jackson x OC fanfic)
FanfictionA year ago Zeus's lightning bolt was stolen...which would've been the cause of the next world war. But Eleanor, Percy, Annabeth & their satyr friend Grover had managed to return it. Grover had headed off in search of the great Lord of the wild: Pan...
