The Harbinger of Death

Chapter 1

Annabeth sat on her bed in the Athena cabin, her head resting in her hands. She tried to focus on her breaths, pulling in one shaky breath after another, until she couldn't stand it anymore. She abruptly stood up and grabbed her dagger on her bedside table, sheathing it before she walked outside.

She was met with brilliant sun blinding her eyes, but she merely squinted and trudged on. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She ran over to the arena, where she picked up a few straw dummies and tied them to the wooden stakes. She proceeded to unsheathe her dagger, and with a cry of relief, drove it straight into its chest.

She ripped apart dummy after dummy, not allowing her mind to think of anything else. Her worries and stress all faded into the background, like a faint dream that she pushed into the back of her mind. Straw drifted to the ground as she moved on to the next dummy, and then finally, she tore off the head of the last dummy.

She stood there, panting with satisfaction. Her eyes glazed over the destroyed dummies and the straw that littered the floor. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed a small figure running towards her. Annabeth turned to see who it was, realizing it was just Piper. Piper wore a grim look on her face, and immediately Annabeth knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" She asked. "I think I'll leave it to Chiron to explain it to you. He's at the Big House," Piper replied. Annabeth hesitantly followed Piper towards the Big House, wondering what could worry Piper so much. Was Jason in trouble? Hazel? Or was it Percy?

Oh gods. Annabeth stifled back tears, her lips quivering with dread. It is Percy, isn't it? She could see no one else walking towards the Big House. Because no one else knew Percy as well as she did. By trying to keep Percy out of danger, she achieved nothing but putting him in danger. She had thought that if she had cut her connections with him, he would be safe. She should've known that Percy would always find some way to die heroically.

Piper watched her reaction, and acknowledged that she had figured it out. Only a few trusted people knew her secret, but Annabeth was worried that she was too late. That Percy was going to die because of her. "Hey," Piper interrupted her frantic thoughts, knowing that she was panicking. "It's not you, I promise. None of this is your fault," She said.

Annabeth shook her head in protest. "But it is my fault, Piper," She countered. "I was the one who made him leave camp." Piper pursed her lips, not sure how she should answer, and at that moment Annabeth knew that she was right. They walked in silence after that, eventually reaching the Big House. They opened the door and walked inside, arriving in the ping pong room. There, Chiron and Grover sat, anxiously waiting for her.

"Ah, there she is!" Chiron exclaimed, putting on his best smile. Unfortunately, she could tell it was fake. "Come sit." Annabeth and Piper took a seat so that they were facing each other in a circle. Annabeth waited as the others exchanged a look.

Grover, who had been chewing on an aluminum can, finally spoke. "Annabeth, Percy is in trouble. I- I can feel it through my empathy link," He explained. "I don't know where he is, or what's pursuing him, but he is in danger, terrible danger." Annabeth's face paled, even though she was expecting this all along.

"Could you try to pinpoint his location?" She asked. Grover shook his head, as though he had expected that question, too. "Trust me, I've already tried a hundred times," He said. "He says he needs more time to think about it," Piper cut in. "It's hard to find someone with just an empathy link. But Grover thinks he can do it," Piper explained. Annabeth knit her eyebrows, thinking about what they've said so far.

"Couldn't you speak to him? Try and ask him where he is?" Annabeth questioned. Grover shook his head again, sighing. "I can't reach him in his dreams anymore, for some reason. Some powerful magic is blocking my connection," He countered. Annabeth started at Chiron, who stayed silent during the conversation. She had a feeling that Chiron knew exactly what Grover was talking about.

"Okay, we'll give you some time to think about it. Tomorrow, we'll embark on the quest and find Percy," Annabeth said. Piper and Grover nodded, but Chiron shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that," He said. "With the Oracle missing, and all the strange things that has been happening, it wouldn't be safe to go anywhere."

"But Percy-," Annabeth protested. "-is in danger. I'm fully aware. But you don't understand. What you're going against, you will need help," Chiron explained. "Help of a god. It is not the time." Piper rolled her eyes, but Annabeth understood what he meant. But Annabeth couldn't let her fate rest on the hands of some snobby deity. She had to rescue Percy.

"I- I understand," She lied. Chiron studied her for a moment, before realizing he couldn't change her mind. Annabeth is going to save Percy, no matter what anyone says. And in the end, she will succeed. Because she was tired of having her fate controlled by others.

Her fate rests in her own hands, and her hands only.