Muttering sprung up around the tables as Chiron's words swept over the camp. A sudden realization began to dawn that this quest was it. A quest that would save this camp or destroy it. A quest that may be the last. In all the years that demigods had ventured away from Camp Halfblood in search of their destinies, none even thought they would see this day. The day when what could possibly be the last quest ever given was handed down to three demigods.
"I think my choice of hero for this quest is already clear," Chiron continued. "New campers, of course, deserve a chance, but this quest is more important than any other quest before it." He surveyed us slowly, taking in each camper with his deep eyes. In them, held a worlds experience of pain and sorrow, greed and despair, devastation and sin.
Speaking softly, he continued, "Its more important than any stolen lightning bolt. More important than any Golden Fleece. This quest is even more important than navigating an impossible labyrinth. This quest will decide the fate of Olympus and everyone who serves the Gods." I felt sickened as every memory of those quests flashed before my eyes. It had all been leading up to this.
"I think it would be appropriate to then ask if Perseus Jackson would like to please lead this quest," Chiron said, looking at me.
As if one entity, all the campers slowly turned their eyes in my direction. I gulped. It was like an invisible spotlight had appeared above me. I knew I had to take this quest. It was my responsibility as the son of the prophecy. And yet for a split second, I contemplated saying no. Leaving the weight of this quest to some other demigod. And that's when I saw her. Annabeth's eyes stared intently at me, piercing through the sea of campers, their gray color flashing in the light of the fire. Just for a moment, she smiled and nodded and that was enough for me. If she was in, then I was too.
"I'll do it," I announced standing up.
"Thank you, Percy," Chiron said, his simple words laced with deep thought, thinking of what he was truly asking me to do. He turned to back to the rest of the camp. "Would all of the campers except Mr. Jackson and Ms. Chase return to their cabins immediately?"
The campers filed out all staring at me with a reverent attitude. Once again, I got the feeling that everyone was taking silent bets on if they would ever see me again. No one even questioned why Annabeth stayed behind with me. I guess after all these years at camp; we were just kind of a packaged deal. That thought made me smile for some reason. We were a packaged deal. You don't get one without the other.
"Go get 'em punk," Clarisse whispered as she punched my shoulder. I just smiled half-heartedly. It seemed like so long ago that I soaked her in toilet water. I wouldn't necessarily call her my friend, but just being a fellow camper was enough for me. Some other campers whispered their gratitude as they passed, but I could only see the sympathy in their eyes.
"Thank you, Percy," Silence said, coming up to me with Beckendorf behind her. The smile that graced her face was both beautiful and sad. "If anyone could do this, it would be you."Beckendorf just slapped my shoulder with his hand and looked at me deeply. We didn't need to say anything. Words were no longer necessary between us. And slowly, he put his arm around his girlfriend's waist and walked off towards their cabins, leaving me alone.
Well not quite alone. I sensed Annabeth come up from behind me. It wasn't like I saw her but after being through 200 different life and death situations with Annabeth, I could get a sense of when it was her next to me. Without turning my face away from the horizon where the sun was starting to peep above the hill, I asked, "Do you want to do this?"
"If you're going, so am I," she replied softly. "How could I let you steal all the glory?" I managed a small grin. "Plus, I need to see Luke one more time. Just to show him…just to show that I don't need him anymore. That I can win this fight."
"I know you'll win," I said, turning so I faced her. "I know you will."
"Come on," she said, looking like any ordinary camper on any ordinary day with her blonde hair hidden under her camp hat. Except it was anything but an ordinary day. "We have to make it the Big House sooner or later. I'll race you." With that, we ran to the door of the big house to meet our fate. Just like old times.
At the Big House
"We need to send you immediately," Chiron told us with a grim face as we whipped through the front door, breathing heavily. Annabeth had won. As usual. "There's not even time for you to go to the Oracle. Argus is already waiting in his car."
I stared with a determined face at Chiron. No one realized it was this bad. I hadn't even had the chance to grab anything I owned. Thankfully, Riptide was impossible to lose. Suddenly I realized I didn't get to even say goodbye to camp. No last looks at the Strawberry Field and cabins for me.
"I hope that it's okay with you Percy that I assumed that Annabeth would be going with you," Chiron continued on. "I thought it would be appropriate that you would do your…ahem…this quest together." I felt as if he meant to insert "last" instead of "this" but changed his mind as the sentence came out. Did everyone truly think I had no chance of surviving?
"She would be coming whether she liked it or not," I answered, somewhat playfully but with serious tone in my voice. I don't think I could have watched Annabeth shrink into the distance as I drove away on this quest. I needed her, as much as I hated to admit it.
"But Chiron," Annabeth interjected after a playful jab at my arm. "We're still missing one quest member."
Chiron smiled softly, giving us a knowledgeable look. "Grover will join you on your way to California. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of adding him to your quest."
"The original three members to save Zeus' lightning bolt," Annabeth said softly, saying what I was already thinking. I smiled, thinking of my first quest. Thinking of how this could be my last…
"Well, I think that just about covers it," Chiron concluded slowly, as if suddenly not wanting us to go. Looking at us with a smile he said, "I am so proud of you both. Do Camp Halfblood proud."
Stepping forward, I hugged the centaur around the middle and squeezed tightly. "Thank you, Mr. Brunner," I whispered to my old teacher. Surprised at his old name, Chiron smiled. "No, thank you, Percy."
Annabeth stepped forward and hugged him too, pulling away with suddenly watery eyes. "Good luck, young demigods. May the power of Olympus be with you." And with that we opened the door and stepped out of the Big House, leaving Chiron, Camp Halfblood and our childhood behind. This was it.
Within the next ten minutes, we were already away from Half-Blood Hill, speeding towards Long Island, where we would find a way to get to Cali. Annabeth had already fallen asleep with her head on the window, her hand splayed out on the car set between us. Not knowing why, but wanting too, I reached over and gently slipped my hand into hers. Something about the feel of it felt comforting and familiar as we whisked into the unknown.
I thought about my first quest, which though I was with the same people, everything had changed between us. Back then, Luke had just waved us off, still my friend, Annabeth almost fainting beside me because he had given her a hug. Grover was one of the only people who talked to me and Annabeth couldn't stand my presence. She even hated me in fact. I don't exactly know what we were now, but whatever it was, we weren't enemies.
The car hit a bump in the road and Annabeth woke up for a second, groggily wondering where we were. I told her to go back to sleep and she laid her head on my shoulder gently and almost, dare I say it, naturally. I looked down at her with a smile and thought; this might be the last time that we have a moment together where we weren't risking our lives. It really is the calm before the storm.
Oh, to think back to when I was young and innocent. I shifted my head against Annabeth's, slightly unnerved my Argus' eyes watching us. How did we come so far? How could we all change so much? Luke had betrayed us all, giving his soul to the dark side, even hurting his own little "sister". The one girl I actually cared about in the world. But just because she is my friend, mind you, that's the only reason. And he would not get away with that again. Not in this life or the ,next.
