Signs of a Storm

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter 34: As Told By...

Percy-

Bright and early, I woke up ready for the day.

Tara was still asleep, and I wondered how many hours of sleep she got. It hasn't been many lately, and I was worried for her. She's been distracted and unfocused, which was fatal not only for a demigod, but just in general. You miss important things, and stuff gets a little confusing and wacky. I figured I'd let her sleep for another few minutes.

After a brief Iris message to Annabeth, and one to my mother, I decided to wake the beast. She really needed to learn to wake up herself. But until then, she was lucky that I was here to help. Otherwise she'd be in a tight spot.

"Wake up, you lug." I loved teasing her.

She mumbled but arose. Andlet me tell you something; if you've ever thought you saw Bigfoot before, that's basically what Tara looked like in the morning. Her hair was ratty and covered her face, drool was slipping from her mouth, and her pajamas didn't match whatsoever. Batman fleece pants, and an oversized tee shirt covered in multiple stains just didn't shout out "Fashion Icon." But that was her problem, and she didn't care.

"Go away so I can change." She mumbled at me.

Since I was ready, unlike a certain someone, I left the cabin and looked around. Maybe I could get a small brush-up on my techniques before we left tomorrow, for the quest. I shuddered; the quest. It had been a while since my last one, and to tell you the truth, it was nice not having to constantly watch your back in fear of dying.

But the old days full of excitement and activity were still amazing to look back on. I still, up to this day, could not believe my pure luck. All those quests, all those monsters, even Tartarus were still fresh in my mind, like I had lived through them yesterday. All through that, Nike, (goddess of luck) was probably helping out a bit.

At the arena, I found Grover sitting in the bleachers. It had been about a day since I had talked to him, and he was still my closest friend. And the best satyr a guy could ask for. "Hey man, what's up?" I asked and sat near him.

His horns were getting really long now, almost three times the size since when I had first met him. His hair was still shaggy, and his goatee was only growing from there. He sighed, "I'll miss you while you're on the quest." He said.

"Hello, I'm Percy Jackson, of course I can handle a few monsters." I patted him on his back. I remembered when he used to get overly emotional about everything. But it was crazy how much we had all changed over the years.

He let out a laugh, "Of course. I wouldn't expect anything else."

We spent time just talking and chatting. Even though it sounds girlish, we enjoyed the time spent like any average teenager. We rarely got it, but when we did, all of us made the best of it. Being a demigod was a pain in the butt. I had always wondered what it was like to be a mortal. Maybe boring, but totally worth it.

"I'll catch up with you later, it's good to talk with you." I waved as I heard the breakfast bell ring. I could only hope Tara was awake. She could hardly go anywhere without someone reminding her or waking her highness up.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake." I said as she sat.

She mumbled something, still half asleep. "You need to get to bed earlier." I shook my finger at her like she was a little kid.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just random stuff going through my head, 24/7. That's all." She said as she yawned. I rolled my eyes.

Obviously she was not fine, and I was sick and tired of her saying so. I understood she wanted to not cause worry to anyone, but not telling me the problem made me even more worried. What if she planned to do something? And what would happen if she didn't tell anyone? The quest and camp could be in serious trouble.