The 13th Olympian

Not what I expected. But Ok.

The Sun had not risen yet. Most of the camp was still asleep. I set out for a walk. The air was cold and misty. I still had the bandage on. And I was still wearing the school uniform. I hadn't realized how short the skirt was until now. My feet were cold. But hey when you are a daughter of Hestia, cold doesn't dare bother you. I ordered the cold air to stay away and make a warm aura for me.

I dragged around for a while. I took a seat under a tree where I untied the bandage. I was a bit of surprised to see that the wound had healed itself. Wonderful! I thought.

A familiar voice exclaimed, "Up so early!"

I looked up.

HOLY SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA!

It was Father Dionysus! I prayed he wouldn't recognize me over the disguise. But darn it! He's a God too.

Dionysus vacillated. "Delilah?"

He gasped loudly. "DELILAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"Hush, they don't know!" I croaked.

"But Delilah!" He said lowering his voice, "Zeus forbid you. What do you think you're doing?"

I looked at my feet. "I thought. I thought you knew."

"I did not know you were serious! But you..."

It was too difficult to think. I realized how foolish I had been. Did I have to be a rebel? I felt miserable.

"I don't know. I had it all figured until yesterday. But---" my voice cracked.

I could not meet his eyes.

"But what?" He asked softly. I expected him to be angry, instead he sounded more concerned.

I shook my head. "I am so sorry, Father."

I looked at him.

"Don't apologize to me. I mean, at times you can be so unpredictable and crazy, I'm actually proud of you. But that's not the point. Its Zeus you should apologize to.

But, I'd say the better option would be to sneak back in Olympus, before he finds out."

I sighed. "Only if I could. A prophecy was foretold yesterday---"

"And let me guess. You are a part of it."

I nodded.

"Delilah, are you sure about this? Do you think you are capable of doing this?"

I didn't respond.

"Oh Delilah, you're so young! You haven't even discovered your own powers yet. Have you even figured what you're the goddess of?"

I looked at my feet. Somehow I found them more interesting to look at than to answer those ugly questions. A hundred and two years of existence and I still didn't know what I was the goddess of.

"No," I said miserably.

He paused.

"Well then, let's see the prophecy first."

We walked to the big house. The campers were up now. The everyday routine had started. It was another ordinary day at camp.

We took seats at the ping pong table. Chiron saw us. "Ah, Mr. D you're finally here!" He said, grinning. "We need to discuss the new prophecy."

Dionysus poured himself a glass of diet coke. "Indeed," He said.

Chiron fetched out a paper from his shirt pocket. He read it out.

"The children of the sea God

Shall fight all odds

To calm the God who has it lost

Find the one who didn't die

And be different than a lie"

"Astonishing!" Dionysus remarked. "Children of the sea god, it says. And---"

I saw Percy entering the house. He was holding hands with somebody.

Ah Annabeth!

Seeing her in person, I was more excited than I let on.

They came and sat with us.

"Hello!" Percy smiled.

"Percy told me about the prophecy," Annabeth spoke up. "We discussed about it yesterday. And we have come to a conclusion."

She paused to look at everyone. "He's not going."

Percy produced a doughnut from his pocket and started chomping on it.

"But Annabeth dear, you know it is not wise to manipulate prophecies," Chiron protested.

"I know."

"And the prophecy clearly says children of Poseidon."

"I know."

"So wouldn't it be wise to send the children of the sea on this quest."

"You don't have to say children every time. Come on, you know Percy is the sole child of Poseidon. And... My seaweed brain is not going on any quest, for all I know," she said sternly.

Chiron didn't reply.

Dionysus took a sip of his diet coke. "So you're saying, we just sit here and do nothing. Then we let the prophecy unfold on its own... Or to send children of other gods on this quest, even though we know they're going to fail anyway."

For a second, Annabeth looked irritated. Everyone waited for her reply, except Percy. He was too busy with his doughnut.

She sighed. "Fine. I give up."

Percy choked up. "What? You are not the Annabeth I know. Where's my Annabeth?"

"But... He'll only go if you let me go too." She said, ignoring him.

"Well then! It's settled," Chiron beamed.

"So, it is me, Percy and?"

"Delilah," Dionysus coaxed.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Me," I said.

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'Alright, this shall be the last chapter before bed' said no reader ever. 🤓