The Lone Guardian (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

"Percy?," Chiron asked with wide eyes. "Where have you been?"

I sighed and explained everything that happened since I left. Chiron listened carefully, frowning at the news of another war.

"It certainly does seem something is rising.," Chiron said grimly, but smiled at me. "Nonetheless. It's good to see you, my boy."

I smiled and bent down to hug him in his wheelchair form.

"Now," Thalia interrupted with a grin, "for the reason we wanted to talk to you."

I grinned back at her and we took turns explaining our plan for my big reveal to the campers. By the time we finished, Chiron was shaking his head, but I could see a small smile on his face.

"You may perform your extravagant reveal. Capture the Flag will be tomorrow after dinner.," he said. Thalia and I simultaneously fist-pumped.

"Yes!," I shouted. "Thalia, I'll shadow travel to Lady Artemis' cabin about an hour before dinner to strategize. Until then, I'll stay in my cabin."

Thalia nodded and turned to leave, but I stopped her. "And Thalia? Please tell the hunters when I'll be coming. I would really rather not be shot with an arrow.," I said, mumbling the last part. She smirked.

"Sure, Kelp Head.," she said as she left the Big House. I gave Chiron another hug and smiled as I disappeared into the shadows.

When I reappeared, I was in the middle of my cabin. Nothing had changed, except for a light layer of dust that covered every surface. I sat on my old bunk and looked at the Minotaur horn that hung on the wall. It's amazing how much has happened, how much I have changed from that scared 12-year old kid, since that night on Half-Blood Hill.

I lay back on my pillow, replaying memories in my head as I listened to the fountain trickling in the corner. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep. Unfortunately, I couldn't escape the demigod dreams that haunted me.

-Dream-

I was standing in a cavern on the edge of a pit I knew all too well. It was the same cavern that haunted my dreams before the Titan War. The pit from which Kronos spoke.

Except, the voice that spoke wasn't Kronos. It was older and sounded like rumbling mountains.

"No one escapes me and lives, hero.," the voice said evilly, sending shivers down my spine. I recognized that voice.

'No,' I thought. 'No, it can't be.'

I covered my ears and shut my eyes tightly as the voice laughed malevolently and the cavern seemed to collapse around me.

-Dream End-

I bolted awake, panting and dripping with sweat.

"It can't be him.," I whispered shakily. "It can't be."

I spent the next several hours messing with my fire and shadow powers, summoning food when I was hungry, and trying to come up with possibilities of who the voice could belong to, besides him, because, if it was him, we could be in serious trouble.

Finally, it was time to strategize with the hunters. I changed into black jeans and a black hoodie and shadow traveled into the Artemis cabin with my eyes closed.

"Sorry to just, well, appear, but I didn't want anyone to see me. Is it safe for me to look?," I asked politely. I heard a few girls jump and held back a snicker.

"It's safe, Percy.," a voice I recognized as belonging to a hunter named Lydia said. I opened my eyes in time to see a blur of blonde hair before Elizabeth was hugging me around my legs.

"Hello, Elizabeth.," I said with a chuckle. Then, I looked up with an evil grin.

"Who's ready for Capture the Flag?," I asked. The hunters shared my grin and the next hour was spent arguing over strategies to use.

Finally, we decided that a third of the girls would guard our flag, another third would fan out into the forest to take out approaching campers, and the rest would split up into decoy groups going towards the flag, while I used the cover of darkness and my new stealth from Hermes to steal the flag and race back across the stream. Then, I'll lead the hunters to the campfire with the flag held high and stand in front, while everyone else sits down.

Finally, when the campers notice that I, a guy, am holding their flag victoriously with a hood covering my face and start asking questions, I'll throw back my hood and Thalia will record their reactions with a camera that Miranda, a hunter who was also a daughter of Hephaestus, built. This is going to be awesome.

Hey guys! I hope y'all are enjoying this story so far. It should be picking up in the next chapter or two. I just wanna say, I finished The Hidden Oracle and it was AMAZING. 100000/10 would recommend. Until next time!