Caliginous

Hello there . . .

In The Time of The Last Olympian

{~}

"Now, " Chiron continued, "if you please, counselors. Percy has brought something I think you should hear. Percy, the Great Prophecy. "

Annabeth handed Percy the parchment. It felt dry and old, and his fingers fumbled with the string. He uncurled the paper, trying not to rip it, and began to read: "A half-blood of the eldest dogs . . . "

"Er, Percy?" Annabeth interrupted. "That's gods. Not dogs. "

"Oh, right, " Percy said. Being dyslexic is one mark of a demigod, but sometimes he really hated it. The more nervous he got, the worse his reading was. "A half~blood of the eldest gods . . . Shall reach sixteen against all odds . . . " He hesitated, staring at the next lines. A cold feeling started in his fingers as if the paper was freezing. "And see the world in endless sleep, The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. " Suddenly Riptide seemed heavier in Percy's pocket. A cursed blade? Chiron once told him Riptide had brought many people sorrow. Was it possible his own sword could get him killed? And how could the world fall into endless sleep, unless that meant death?

"Percy, " Chiron urged. "Read the rest. "

Percy's mouth felt like it was full of sand, but he spoke the last two lines. "A single choice shall. . . Shall end his days. Olympus to per-pursue-"

"Preserve, " Annabeth said gently. "It means to save. "

"I know what it means, " Percy grumbled. "Olympus to preserve or raze. "

The room was silent. Finally Connor Stoll said, "Raise is good, isn't it?"

"Not raise, "Silena said. Her voice was hollow, but Percy was startled to hear her speak at all. "R-a-z-e means destroy. "

"Obliterate, " Annabeth said. "Annihilate. Turn to rubble. "

"Got it. " His heart felt like lead. "Thanks. "

Everybody was looking at him with concern, or pity, or maybe a little fear. Chiron closed his eyes as if he were saying a prayer. In horse form, his head almost brushed the lights in the rec room. "You see now, Percy, why we thought it best not to tell you the whole prophecy. You've had enough on your shoulders-"

"Without realizing I was going to die in the end anyway?" Percy said. "Yeah, I get it. "

Suddenly the floor opened up beneath them and the plummeted into endless darkness. Percy felt as though he was on a roller-coaster, his stomach went to his throat as he fell. He couldn't see anything, the only thing he could identify was the screaming of his friends all around him. He had to close his eyes because of the wind, it made them water to no end and it roared in his ears at an almost deafening volume.

Percy didn't even feel himself hit the ground, the wind was no longer clawing at his clothes or damaging his ear drums, he was no longer falling and there was warmth.

"Welcome!" Someone shouted, making his eyes fly open.

"Thalia?" He heard Annabeth ask next to him. Percy turned over onto his back to see Thalia smiling at him from above.

She turned to Annabeth "Hey Annabeth, how are you?"

"A little sick from that fall we just had . . . wait," She got to her feet and looked around. "Where are we?"

All the demigods got to their feet and brushed themselves off. Percy looked around, they were in a bunker of some sort. It was made of stone and all that was in the bunker was a weird cylinder on its side. It glowed a stranger white light like a warning for you to keep away unless you knew how to use it properly.