Strange Teachers

Chapter 22

-Sadie-

The hieroglyph, a flat line with an almond shape upright in the center, glowed gold, and the next thing anyone knew, the boy from the manor was standing where the bear had been. He looked to be around eighteen years old and had a general theme of dark clothes, hair, and eyes going on, which I appreciated.

Despite his disoriented state, Nico managed to direct his imminent fall towards Will's arms, so that he collapsed while already hugging him. The two stayed like that a while, occasionally murmuring sweet words. They soon started to make out passionately, at which I whistled. I got that they hadn't kissed in months, but geez...

"You two wanna take over the honeymoon cabin?" Percy joked. "We could move out."

Nico and Will separated somewhat abashedly. Will kept his arm around his boyfriend's waist.

"Sorry, just glad to have my significant annoyance back." He kissed the dark-haired boy's cheek.

"It's cute," I said, which made them blush and Percy and Annabeth chuckle.

"Hey Sades," Walt said softly. "Wasn't it raining before?"

He was right. None of us had noticed it, but it was sunny outside now.

"Weird. It's been rainy all week," Percy remarked.

"'And will again by rainfall's end.'" Annabeth said slowly. "I was right! The rain just ended, and Nico's back to normal."

Due to the rest of the people in the room understanding nothing about their sudden realization, Annabeth proceeded to tell us all about their unexpected quest and job, not to mention their heroic students who happened to dream about prophecy-spouting goddesses. This had been a stranger year for them then it had for me, and that was saying something.

We eventually decided it would be a good idea to call a counselor meeting with the four wizards. As we walked, Percy and Annabeth pointed out attractions of the Camp. It was even more wicked than I'd imagined. When I showed a particular interest in the lava wall, Percy told me I could probably try and climb it, seeing as I could withstand ambrosia. Apparently, most campers needed it on their first try. I took that as a challenge. I wasn't most people; therefore, I wouldn't be needing ambrosia. Somewhere along the way, Nico and Will had split from us to go get the heads of the cabins for the meeting.

On the porch of a blue-and-white-painted farmhouse called 'the Big House' sat a grumpy-looking bloke, an old man in a wheelchair, and a younger man with curly hair and a small beard. He may also have had horns and fur on his bare legs, but I wasn't sure; at this point, not much surprised me. They were playing a card game that I didn't recognize, and wheelchair bloke was apparently winning, because the grumpy guy was getting more frustrated by the second.

"Chiron, we need to call a meeting of the heads," Annabeth said to wheelchair bloke, who I guess was actually Chiron, centaur trainer of heroes. I was a tad shocked, but brushed it off.

"One moment, child." He laid down a winning hand, at which his only interested opponent stormed off into the house. Chiron turned towards us.

"Why must we hold a meeting?" he asked, then noticed me, Carter, Zia, Walt. "And who are you all? Not demigods. Except perhaps you," he pointed at Walt, "but you have a different aura."

"That has to do with the meeting. It needs to be called."

Chiron seemed to trust her judgement, as he nodded.

- - - - -

Barely two minutes into the meeting, and I was already forgetting everybody's name. I mean, it's not like I tried hard to remember them, but I could only remember some, like Nico, Will, Clarisse-she was a very active participant in the meeting-, Piper, and of course the newlyweds. From what I gathered, there were more people at camp than there would usually be, since some romans had come for the wedding.

Chiron was at the head of the ping-pong table, Percy and Annabeth and the Praetors of the Roman camp flanking him on either side of the table.

Bored, leaned back to touch an intricately-made golden instrument that was displayed near the wall-it might've been a lyre.

Suddenly, the lyre rose in the air.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," the female Praetor said. She was raising her arm in the air, and I realized that she was holding up the lure with her powers-those are some badass powers. "It's Orpheus' lyre. It was cursed when he failed to bring Eurydice back to life."

I shrunk away from the instrument in a jiffy.

At that moment, a girl jogged through the door, frizzy red hair trailing behind her, jeans and shirt covered in Sharpie doodles and paint splotches. Basically, she seemed cool.

"Sorry I'm late; newbie tried to sneak into the cave," she panted. Her eyes stopped on us. "Who are you?"

"Sadie, Carter, Walt, Zia. Do you live in a cave?" Carter said.

"Yeah, I'm the oracle of Delphi, Rachel. Glad to meet you. Nice hair, by the way." The last part was directed at me or rather at the turquoise streak in my blond hair.

"Thanks. It's a diff-" Rachel went limp. The satyr from the pinochle game earlier (I'd asked what it was) and Piper held her up, while one of the boys who looked almost identical pushed a chair under her. "Wha-?"

Green mist pooled around her feet as her eyes lit up the same colour. Her voice came out raspy and layered, like she was a dozen people all speaking at once.

"To defeat the young daughter of Night,
Four of each world together must fight.
Among trees they must stay,
Keeping aster away,
For it would not lend a hand in a fight.

When the red stars will rise in the sky,
Then they must give an eye for an eye.
Their path will lead there,
Where the ring is laid bare,
And will always be used out of sight."

A loaded silence followed, which I promptly broke.

"What just happened?"

After a remarkably fast recovery, Rachel answered.

"I'm assuming I just gave a prophecy."

~ • ~

Or is it...?