Modern Myths

Book 1 - The Lightning Thief: Chapter 12: Drew & Piper's First Quest.

7/26/06, Wednesday

Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York, 9:00am

Percy POV

We were gathered at the amphitheater to receive news from Dionysus & Chiron.

They were standing there with Ms. Hill & another. He wore blue button down & jeans. He held a staff in his hands.

Mr. D.: "First off, introductions. This is a new god & former Oracle of Olympia, as well as the first Augur ever, Tiresias."

Tiresias was the son of a nymph, Chariclo, who served Athena.

He went to check up on a crying woman only to find Athena bathing. She blinded him, but after receiving an explanation, but unable to remove her curse, she turned him into the first augur by cleaning his ears & letting him understand birdsong.

It was one of the only times she apologized for her mistakes.

Then, he got his eyesight back somehow, only to be blinded again by siding with Zeus in an argument between him & Hera, but Zeus made him his oracle after.

As the protogenoi have removed all curses, he should be able to see fine.

How the concept of Augurs moved from Thebes to Rome I'll never know. Troy is one thing, since the ancestors of the founders were Trojan, but he helped fight against Troy & was killed by Apollo.

Tiresias: "I'm here to help give advice on your quest to recover the Oracle of Trophonius, as Camp Jupiter goes out to recover the Oracles of Erythaea & Cumae. My powers aren't true prophecy, but vague details on the future. They tell me that nobody will intentionally get in your way." He says putting emphasis on intentionally.

Ms. Hill: "Drew Tanaka, you will lead this quest. Come with your 9 chosen aids to the Big House."

After everybody else cleared out, Drew came to me & Annabeth.

Drew: "You 2 in?"

Me & Wise girl: "Absolutely."

I told them that I had to start drawing her prophecy.

I made my way to the Arts & Crafts Center.

Mr. D. was there to meet me.: "I'm here to confirm the locations of the 3 oracles, so I can notify Camp Jupiter."

I checked my book.: "Herophile & Cumae are together in an underwater cave in the Willamette River, Portland. Here's the directions." I showed him the book & he compares it to his copy.

Mr. D.: "It hasn't changed. What about Trophonius?"

I checked.: "Same as always, Bluespring Caverns, Bedford, Indiana. Directions have not changed."

He left & I got to drawing.

It was literally just us 3 & 7 others in a woodshop boring into different pieces of wood, except Drew & Piper each had a medal.

I take this to mean that the quest is going to be boring, we'll be traveling through a cave, which was a natural bore in the ground & Drew & Piper will prove themselves.

I headed towards the Big House with my drawing.

I saw Ms. Hill, Mr. D. & Chiron were there, so we were waiting for Drew, Annabeth & the other 7.

I showed them my drawing, so they can start interpreting it.

Drew & Annabeth showed up with Piper, Clarisse & her new boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, Silene & Charles & lastly, the twin sons of Mr. D., Castor & Pollux.