Shattered

House

"The Hunters win!" Chiron announced without pleasure. Then he muttered, "For the fifty-sixth time in a row."

"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward him. She smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis. It took all of Percy's willpower not to grin at Thalia's reaction.

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

Percy began thinking, but he didn't know what to say to the daughter of Zeus.

"If you actually went for the flag, instead of chatting up the enemy, you would've won us our first Capture the Flag against the hunters!"

"Well Thalia, considering you look like a train wreck and I do not, i'd say I done pretty good standing toe to toe with Lady Artemis' Lieutenant who would be the best fighter in the hunters." he knew the taunt was mean, but he was simply too oblivious to care. he and his best friend always fought with each other, only to make up five minutes after the whole ordeal. Besides he missed messing with the girl, they hardly ever met after she had gone off to join the hunters.

Thalia grew angry and instead of replying struck Percy with a bolt of white lightening which flung Percy across the creek. Hunters burst out laughing and Percy stood up calmly. Surprisingly, his skin didn't char, through the burnt hole on his orange tee was unblemished skin.

"Oh is that all Thalia, would have thought the daughter of the, almighty, Zeus could do more than graze me." Percy taunted with a smirk but anger flashing in his eyes. As he glared at Thalia the entirety of the creek was lifted out of the river bed and swirled around them. Intimidation tactics were awesome...

Before anything else could happen, another voice spoke out stopping the fight in its tracks.

"Stop this pathetic fight now, you two are both right and wrong."

Percy gulped. He could make out that voice anywhere. He so wished that the goddess hadn't seen the embrace her lieutenant had locked him in. Both of them.

"Lady Artemis!" The hunters bowed to their mistress.

Suddenly everyone else who watched on the coming fight in awe and fear froze.

Someone... something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"This is impossible," Chiron said. Percy never heard him sound so nervous. "It... she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around their feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

None dared move. Then her voice hissed inside Percy's head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over the ears.

"I am the sprit of Delphi, the voice said. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python."

The Oracle regarded Percy with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade. "Approach, Seeker, and ask."

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. Percy saw the vague image of a mountain, and a woman standing at the barren peak. It was Athena, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was on her knees, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The oracle spoke in its raspy voice.

Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The bane of Olympus shows the trail,