Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--vii. a quest for two

CABIN MEETINGS AT CAMP HALF-BLOOD was the most unserious thing that Rhea had to go to. Even if the topic was dangerous, the council was held around a ping-pong table in the Big House's rec room, with snacks supplied by Mr. D. The god in question and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had sort of become Zoe's personal assistant, from the looks of it) took the other end.

On the other side, Beckendorf and the Stolls sat, and across the ping-pong table was Rhea, Percy, Grover, and Thalia (who was still fuming). The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but it seemed they'd all ended up in the infirmary from capture the flag.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. Rhea was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, making it so that her face was visible. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, and her dark eyes vaguely reminded Rhea of someone famous, but she couldn't think who. Bianca looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight, the blessing of Artemis. "You heard the prophecy. 'Six shall go west to the goddess in chains.' We can get six hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but Rhea could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."