The Lion Boy

The Lion Boy Part 9

Annabeth POV

Once I made it across the borders I passed out, my knee was hurt, and we were in bad shape. We had been in Maryland, when we saw Thanatos, taking the spirit of a human after a tragic car accident. He recognized us, and Hades found out both Thalia and Percy were alive. He let the worst monsters out of Tartarus, and sent armies of hellhounds after us. No matter how good we were, there were simply too many. We were reduced to running. We were so close to Camp Half-Blood and safety, and Hades couldn't let it happen. And then Percy... I blinked back tears as I sat on my bed. Ambrosia had healed my knee, and I was as good as new. Nobody had been able to find the body of my best friend, only blood, and believed me we looked. He had been eaten. At least he died a heroic death. 

As I stared at my lap, I saw a flash of white light off to my left. I looked over, and an gold necklace sat on my desk. It consisted of a short and simple gold chain, with a shell pendant. The shell was one of the curly ones, like the necklace Ursula kept Ariel's voice in in The Little Mermaid. Dad had taken the time to watch that one with me. Archerd shells, I think they were called. It reminded me painfully of Percy. A crisply folded piece of paper sat next to it. I picked it up and opened it, it was a note from Hestia written in Ancient Greek no less.

Dearest Annabeth,

This is a gift from me to you for reasons I can not explain at this time. Keep it close to you, wear it, and NEVER take it off. This is powerful, and important in ways you may not be able to grasp. Do not worry about it being it harmed, it is protected with my magic, and is indestructible for the time being. Do not let the other gods know you have it, especially Zeus and Hades. Rhea, Dynatos, and Axi all know, you have nothing to hide from them. Instructions will come later. Be alert on the twenty sixth of this month, you will have a task then, and it is imperitent you have the necklace with you at this time. The only people you may confide your possession of the necklace in are Thalia and Luke. Show them this note, they will be needed as well. The best of luck with your task you have been given. 

Sincerely,

Hestia

I reread her cryptic message again. And then again. It still didn't make sense. I picked up the necklace, put it securely around my neck, and tucked it under my Camp Half Blood t-shirt. I then slipped her note inside my pocket, and ran to find Thalia and Luke. As I looked around camp, I noticed twice the normal amount of kids at archery. I ran up to an Apollo camper who was the instructor, Taylor I think her name was. 

"Why so many extra kids?"

"The canoe lakes dried up. Now we have TWICE as much clean up to do after every group." She complained. My eyebrows shot up, the canoe lake dried up? It hasn't even been warm. I ran over, and sure enough, it was as dry as my step mother's personality.

"Not possible." I muttered. I spied a naiad walking away in a huff. I went over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around and gave me an irritated look.

"What?" 

"What happened? T-The lake is all dried up, its not possible." I stuttered, shaken by the turn of events. The nature spirit glared at me.

"Your guess is as good as mine, it was late last night, a few minutes after you three stumbled in. It all just started leaving. The rain got in it, but it didn't even make the ground wet. It just evaporated once it hit the bottom. You figure it out, you're the daughter of Athena, aren't they supposed to be smart? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make a new home in the creek. My friends have probably all gotten the good spots now that you held me up." She walked off, leaving me fuming, but spooked. 

"Find the lions. They'll know." I said, trying to reassure myself. I knew they had slept in the woods, and I plunged in, deserting my planned activities. They could deal with it. I found them by the creek, which they gazed sadly into. Thalia and Luke were with them. Great, all in one place. 

"Guys." I started, out of breath from my search. I dragged myself over to them and plopped down. I fished the note out of my pocket and handed it to Thalia, who read it aloud. 

Once she was done she looked at me. 

"What the heck?" She asked.

"Thats not all, the canoe lakes dried up. Not a drop in it. The naiads said when it rained it wouldn't go in it either."

"What's so special about the twenty sixth?"  Luke asked.

"I don't know, the only things I can think of is that it's the full mo-." I stopped mid sentence, my brain going wildly. 

"Moon. Water. Percy. It has something to do with Percy! The necklace, the shell on the necklace. The LAKE drying up. Not telling Hades or Zeus. It all makes sense. Rhea and Hestia have a plan of some sort. Percy might be back. Percy might be alive." My Athenian brain was putting the puzzle together. Then I remembered what else was happening on this full moon.

"On the twenty sixth it will not only be a full moon, all the planets will be aligned with the moon, it only happens once every fifty years. The moon is directly connected with water and its power. Thats what will give water and Percy enough power to do well... Whatever it is those two have set up. The task Hestia and Rhea have given us has to be completed on the twenty sixth. With being demigods, we'll most likely be dead by the next time it happens again. Then Hestia and Rhea won't have a connection to any demigods who have connections to Percy, so the Ancient Laws won't let them do anything. Percy will be stuck wherever he is forever, and there's nothing anybody will be able to do about it. Even if we were alive, we would be in our fifties and sixties. I don't know what kind of magic they used, but Percy will most likely still be young. He would have to watch us get old and die, while he still has decades left of life. At that point, it would be cruel to save him. Do you know what that would do to him?" I finished in hysterics. Thalia and Luke didn't look much better. 

"Percy's crazy powerful. If any hostile gods found out, they would go everything in their power to prevent us rescuing him." I ended my rant. My shoulders slumped. 

"This has to be kept secret." Luke stated. My hand reached up and touched the shell on the necklace. It felt warm, and gave me a little more faith that we could save Percy. It was comforting, and seemed to pulse softly, like its own little heartbeat. 

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A/N: YOU ACTUALLY HAD SOME HOPE PERCY WOULD COME BACK IN THIS CHAPTER WHEN YOU STARTED READING AHAHA YOU'RE HILARIOUS.