Riptide by Annabeth Chase

Chapter Nine: Quest

(The Lightning Thief pg 147-169)

I spent the next week on autopilot trying to figure out a plan. I knew we would get a quest and I knew I would be able to get chosen to go but I didn't know what to expect or even exactly what the quest would entail. The last time I had been outside of camp (excluding field trips) was five years ago and even then, we didn't go looking for monsters, we were only trying to avoid them.

If Hades had stolen the master bolt, we would need to go get it from him which already meant we would need to do something impossible - going to the underworld and bringing something back with us. But even getting to the underworld would be difficult. It was on the other side of the country, and we wouldn't be able to fly. Even without any obstacles, traveling across the country by land would take at least three or four days. But, being demigods, it would likely take much longer.

We also would not be able to drive ourselves because even though I could easily steal a car no one ever taught me how to drive and a twelve year old in the driver's seat was sure to get pulled over almost immediately.

No matter how much I thought about it I couldn't figure out a plan that would be any more helpful than just winging it and that was my least favorite way to do things.

"If you stare at those maps any harder, they are going to burst into flames." Luke sat across from me and waved his hand in front of my face, "earth to Annabeth."

"Oh hi, sorry I'm just thinking."

"Yeah, I know, you've barely done anything other than stare at things and mumble to yourself for the past few days."

"Ugh, my last plan went perfectly ... I mean aside from Percy almost getting shredded. But he got claimed and he will get a quest soon. I just can't figure out how to make sure we succeed," I shuffled some papers to put a map of LA at the forefront. "I mean I can't even figure out how to get there, much less where the actual entrance might be."

"Okay, so you missed at least three sentences that would make what you just said understandable to anyone other than you. But unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able to plan your way through an entire quest. Things come up that you can't predict, that's just how life works." Even though I knew what he was saying was true, I wasn't ready to accept that.

"I still have to try and figure things out, you know that. Has Percy been doing well at his combat lessons?" I inquired, trying to direct the conversation back to something I could control.

"Actually yeah, he's really good at sword fighting but he still hasn't found a blade that fits him. They all seem to be off for some reason."

"Oh, that's fine he'll get one before we leave, but I'm glad he's doing well. Have you gotten to teach him different fighting styles and different techniques the monsters we might come across would use?"

"He's only been here a week you know? I can't cram five years' worth of combat training into a week no matter how good I am. But what do you mean he'll get a good sword before you leave, how do you know that?" Luke asked. He was kind of starting to annoy me. I didn't have time to explain everything to him.

"Eh, Chiron won't let him leave without a weapon," I saw Grover and Percy heading toward the Big House and knew it was time for Percy to get his quest.

"I've gotta go, see you later." I ran to my cabin and dumped the books and maps I had on my bed, put on my cap and ran toward the Big House. The sword thing was something I had figured out over the last week, but I didn't have time to explain all of that to Luke. I had spent a lot of time chatting with Grover about his year at school with Percy and Grover had told me as much as he remembered about the time Percy had killed a Fury.