I tried to keep my and my friends moods up while at camp but it didn't do much. But now that we have a quest to save camp, it seems so much more... Alive.
I was stunned while Travis and Conner jumped around me. 'Maybe this can go uphill' I thought happily.
(How wrong is he going to be folks ;-;)
Clarisse stood up, looking stunned. Then she swallowed, and her chest swelled with pride. "I accept the quest!"
I followed and stood up. "I accept the quest!"
But just at the highlight of my day Percy spoke up. "Wait!" He shouted. "Grover is my friend. The dream came to me." Yeah and from what Bill told me about the link, it was only through you? And besides Bill is his cousin.
"Sit down!" yelled one of the Ares campers. "You had your chance last summer!"
"Yeah, he just wants to be in the spotlight again!" Xavier said, one of the Hermes campers.
Clarisse glared at Percy. "I accept the quest!" she repeated. "I, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, will save the camp!"
The Ares campers cheered even louder. Annabeth protested, and the other Athena campers joined in. Everybody else started taking sides shouting. Hermes, Apollo, Ares, Demeter, were on the side of us taking the quest. While the rest were shouting for Percy.
"HEY!" I shouted and attracted their attention. "My best friend Bill is Grover cousin and Bill had helped me in many ways so I owe him that I will not only bring back Grover but also the fleece!"
More shouting broke out after that but more people were now favoring that I go onto the quest. I made eye contact with Bill who shot me a smile and a thank you.
Tantalus shouted viscously, "Silence, you brats!"
"Sit down!" he ordered. "And I will tell you a ghost story."
Conner looked shell shocked at how evil Tantalus sounded and sat down while Travis was already sitting down beforehand. I soon followed Conner while the rest of camp did what he ordered.
"Once upon a time there was a mortal king who was beloved of the Gods!" Tantalus put his hand on his chest, and I got the feeling he was talking about himself.
"This king," he said, "was even allowed to feast on Mount Olympus. But when he tried to take some ambrosia and nectar back to earth to figure out the recipe just one little doggie bag, mind you the gods punished him. They banned him from their halls forever! His own people mocked him! His children scolded him! And, oh yes, campers, he had horrible children. Children just like you."
He pointed a crooked finger at several people in the audience.
"Do you know what he did to his ungrateful children?" Tantalus asked softly. "Do you know how he paid back the gods for their cruel punishment? He invited the Olympians to a feast at his palace, just to show there were no hard feelings. No one noticed that his children were missing. And when he served the gods dinner, my dear campers, can you guess what was in the stew?"
No one dared answer. The firelight glowed dark blue, reflecting evilly on Tantalus's crooked face.
"Oh, the gods punished him in the afterlife," Tantalus croaked. "They did indeed. But he'd had his moment of satisfaction, hadn't he? His children never again spoke back to him or questioned his authority. And do you know what? Rumor has it that the king's spirit now dwells at this very camp, waiting for a chance to take revenge on ungrateful, rebellious children. And so ... are there any more complaints, before we send Clarisse and Atem off on their quest?"
My jaw dropped and eyes wide. 'He ate his kids' I thought while Travis looked like he was going to throw up his guts. Conner was pale as paper like the rest of the campers. But then Tantalus looked at me and Clarisse...
Tantalus nodded at us. "The Oracle, my dears. Go on." I stood as a robot and just followed Clarisse. But she stopped and shifted uncomfortably.
"Sir" She started but was interrupted.
"Go!" he snarled. I saw the lines of rotten yellow teeth, no, fangs Tantalus had. Me and Clarisse rushed to the Big House.
__________________________
The oracle looked ugly and out of a horror film. Clarisse thought the same but breathed in and out before walking forwards.
"The golden Fleece, how do I get it." Clarisse asked with a hint of nervousness.
"And how do we save Grover?" I added.
Green smoke spewed from then it took the form of someone that looked like Bill but more roughed up. Grover, I guessed. he was in a wedding dress with a giant cyclops standing next to him and on a tree hung a, no the golden fleece.
"You shall sail the iron ship with warrior of bone,
You shall find what you seek and make it your own,
But despair for your life entombed within stone,
And fail without friends, to fly home alone."
And with that me and Clarisse got out of there like a bat out of hell.
Unknown POV
Just as Atem and Clarisse left, the oracle spoke once more.
"One shall fall
for they shall birth a monster that will crawl
May all help us for what it shall become"
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Atem POV
While we were walking back to the cabins, Clarisse told me that she knew the transportation problem and wouldn't be inviting anyone so I can pick someone. But the "go home alone" part gave me some nervousness but I just assumed that one will go home with the fleece while me and bill go home after?
I went to Bill humble house. And knocked 2 times before the door swung opened and a disheveled Bill answered.
"Yawn, yeah?"
"Wanna join a life or death quest to save camp? And bring Grover home?" I ask with a smile.
Bill has a deadpan face before breaking out in a smile.
"Count me in. I'll bring the sweets."
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The next morning Clarisse, Bill, and me went towards where Ares had told Clarisse to go. It was in the middle of a forest but there was a clearing with a ship full of.... ghosts?
"Hop on little lady!" One of the ghosts shouted as they dropped a rope. Clarisse was the first to go then Bill. But when I went to go they pulled the rope up.
"Hey!" I shouted.
"We don't let YOUR kind on this ship." The captain spat with venom. Meanwhile me, Bill and Clarise stared at him. Not only was I from Texas, but I was quite white. What was he on?
Taisho Secret
The reason why the ghost captain said that is actually a hint towards his heritage.
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Wanted to do a little foreshadow in this chapter. Also sorry for not uploading quite a bit.