The Child of Hecate: The Arising Oracle

Chapter Five: The New Great Prophecy

ANNABETH

 Chiron galloped over from his nap to find that half the sword arena had went KA-BOOM, a newcomer was unconscious and had been the cause of the explosion, and because of the explosion one of his oldest students had nearly died and had been stuck under a boulder, and the second newcomer had a deep gash in her right arm. Not a great way to wake up.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare had come, too, which was not a great sign. She usually only came out of her cave for walks in the woods, meals, and if she felt a prophecy coming.

"What happened here?" Chiron asked, aghast. His face looked paler than usual, and staring up at the face of of powerful goddess of magic, I wasn't surprised. He looked haunted. "We haven't had an in-person claim for centuries! Did Hecate or..." Comprehension dawned on his face. "It's her, isn't it? The one Apollo foretold?"

"Yes," replied Rachel. I had once resented her because she'd once had a crush on Percy, but now we were on good terms.

"Rachel..." Chiron warned. A group of campers were now helping Percy lift the rock over her. Grover, among the group, looked mortified.

Rachel ran over to Helen, and as soon as she touched her barely heaving chest, she doubled over and as the spirit of Delphi possessed her her eyes glowed serpent green. Her helpers ran over with a three-legged black and silver stool and gently propped Rachel on her stool, and the prophecy she produced was horrible, the next fate of the world:

"For it is carried with gentle grace, 

 Seven immortals have stolen the power, 

 Of the higher Olympians they face,  

With their children like the root of a flower.

The daughters of wisdom, the son of the sea,

The spirit of Pan, the Underworld and the child of magic and three.

The oracle is the throne to the Greek key,

A new praetor of Rome killing relentlessly.

Back a time to when mortal was the sun,

Demeter's daughter claimed the god,

The Dark Prophecy's oracle from

Destroyed as it may, the questing squad.

For now, the five are selected and chosen,

The first quest for the Oracle must start at doesn't."

Everybody was still. Rachel had never spouted a Shakespearian sonnet before. According to Chiron, when Apollo became mortal, he had had a Shakespearian sonnet, and it was the most unfortunate way of telling the future with an Oracle.

The part I was worried about was the son of the sea, the daughters of wisdom, the spirit of Pan, and most of all, the child of magic, which was obviously Helen, but three... would that mean crossroads, or could it be?...

Hecate seemed to be forgotten. When she started speaking, everybody jumped as her silvery cold voice filled the arena majestically.

"This child of mine has the same amount of magical blood and power as a child of Zeus, a child of Poseidon, and a child of Hades combined. Her power dwells in beliefs, words and drawings, visions," Hecate breathed. "She is the new child of the Prophecy..." Hecate disappeared in a flash.

Rachel's helpers were helping her stay upright. Rachel was placed on a stretcher and taken to the infirmary for some mortal healing.

"Senior counsellors, to the Big House," Chiron called shakily. " And the newcomers come, too. Everyone else, in your cabins." Then he galloped away.

I helped Percy and Akari wake Helen, and she woke with a shuddering breath, like a death rattle. Nico di Angelo the son of Hades and Will Solace from Apollo hung around, too.

"She nearly died,' Nico stated innocently, as if he was just announcing, I'm going to a theme park on the weekend!

"Nico, again, with even Apollo and Meg, we seriously need to work on your people skills," Will said exasperatedly. 

Helen looked exhausted. "Please don't tell me I did that thing back at the school."

"You sound like me," Percy laughed. "I destroy schools casually like I'm ordering a smoothie. Or a cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers are good."

"You are a dork," I decided, remembering too well how many schools he had gotten expelled from.

"Anyways," Akari said. "Meeting. Who's the creepy guy?"

"Hello," Nico said sarcastically. "I am Mr Creepy Guy, and I can't hear any insult ever fired at me." Akari looked weirdified. 

"Kidding," Will provided for Akari. " I am Will, this is Nico, and you are?"

"I'm Akari," said Akari. "And the girl on the ground who blew up the arena is Helen, the goddy daughter of Hecate."

"Gods, you sound like Meg McCaffrey," Will smiled. "'Goddy' isn't a word. Meg said it too."

As I got up and brushed myself off, Percy whispered, "My mum's gonna kill me if I die on this quest. I told her I wouldn't get myself involved in another Great Prophecy."

"It's gonna be fine," I promised, though I wasn't sure I could keep my word. The prophecy was dark. It involved two daughters of Athena (wisdom), probably Akari and me, a son of the sea, no doubt Percy, a spirit of Pan, and I thought that might be Grover, the Underworld, Nico and the child of magic and three-big three- would be Helen.

And the prophecy sounded like she was going to lead the quest.