The Blood of Olympus

Chapter 9: Hazel

Preeeeeeesenting....Chapter 9! 

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Chapter 9: Hazel

Hazel was trying hard not to lose it. But sitting over what appeared to be Annabeth's deathbed, with a somber Frank and almost hysterical Percy, it was getting increasingly harder not to start throwing a hissy fit. But she knew she had to keep it together. Trying to keep her thoughts off Annabeth (which was kind of hard, seeing as Annabeth was right in front of her) she wondered aloud what the heck was going on in the Mess Hall. Even from Annabeth's cabin, they could hear raised voices, crashes, and the occasional outraged shriek.

Frank shrugged, "Monsters? Do you think they need help?"

Percy stood up and started pacing around, muttering something that sounded like,

"Curse...my fault..."

By this point, Hazel lost all self-restraint. She stood up, grabbed Percy, and sat him down on the bed,

"Perseus Jackson," she said sternly, "if you dare say it's your fault Annabeth is dying again, I swear I will stab you with a rusty nail,"

The look she gave him must have been more severe than she thought.

Percy gulped, "Shutting up,"

At that convenient moment, the door burst open, and Piper, Leo, and Jason walked in. The moment she saw them, Hazel knew something was wrong. Their faces were all pale and drawn, and Piper in particular looked like she had aged ten years in ten minutes.

Nevertheless, she stood to greet them...until she saw the figure behind them,

"Hazel, Frank, and Percy, this is - " Jason began, but the lady cut in,

"I can introduce myself, thank you very much," she said, in a voice so cold she could have given Khione some tips, "Tyche, goddess of luck, chance, and fortune, not at your service," 

All Hazel could think to say was, "Isn't that the Greek form of Fortuna?"

"Yes. So?"

Hazel wasn't quite sure how to say that she'd never quite imagined Fortuna as looking like an overgrown vulture with its head on fire, so she kept her mouth shut. 

Tyche's lidless, pure black eyes glittered, and she turned to Piper,

"So why did you bring me here?" she snarled, "we can easily flip a coin back in that sorry excuse for a dining hall!"

Piper shrugged, "It's a big choice, head or tails. Just like you said, this one coin flip will decide the fate of the world. I need to discuss it with my friends,"

Tyche laughed, "You think I'm so stupid - girl, I thought you at least were somewhat close to being mildly knowledgeable! As the goddess of fate, I can tell you want to come up with some plan with those little friends of yours. No, we flip the coin. Now,"

Piper looked taken aback, and slightly scared. Biting her lip, she stammered,

"Uh - okay," and there was a note of pleading in her voice that Hazel didn't understand, "but I want, and I'm sure HAZEL would agree, to use a GOLD coin,"

Tyche tilted her head, which only increased her unfortunate resemblance to an overgrown bird of prey, and blinked slowly,

"And why would that matter so much to you?"

Leo mirrored Tyche's gesture mockingly, while Piper laughed,

"Well, I would have thought that would be obvious," she said with more confidence, giving a very un-Piperish giggle, "this is a very important event, and I would only use a PRECIOUS METAL to decide the fate of my best friend,"