Percy is Offered a Quest

**Percy is Offered a Quest** is the fifty-seventh chapter of The Gift of a Best Friend. It was first published on May 8th, 2018.

## Chapter

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**Annabeth's POV**
Percy’s a son of Poseidon. That’s not good.
He was moved into cabin three the next morning after he was claimed.
The campers steered clear of him as much as possible, except for Jasmine, who didn’t treat him any differently, like she was saying, “A son of Poseidon? Whatever. It’s nothing new.”
But it is.
And, I hate to admit it, but she was right about him being a son of Poseidon.
I still teach him Ancient Greek in the mornings, but I’m too distracted now about everything that’s happening.
Near the end of the day, Jasmine came to talk to me in our cabin, looking unsure and confused.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“I was just talking to Percy,” she replied.
“Of course you were.”
She glared at me.
“All right,” I said. “What about?”
“Kind of just random things,” Jasmine said. “Then, since I’m the only one treating him the same way now as I did before he was claimed unlike everyone else, he asked me if I had met a child of Poseidon before.”
“What did you say?”
“Well, I said no, but . . . my powers disagreed, and they know everything.”
“You’ve met a child of Poseidon before?”
“We both have, but we didn’t know that that person was a child of Poseidon.”
“Obviously, because I would’ve remembered that.”
“So would I.”
“Do you know who that person is or was?”
Jasmine shook her head. “No. And my powers won’t tell me. They won’t even tell me if it was a boy or girl.”
“Is that person in camp right now?”
Jasmine looked aside for a moment, listening for her powers response. “No.”
“Well, where else would we meet a child of Poseidon?” I asked.
“A beach?” Jasmine suggested. “A public swimming pool? Basically anywhere there’s water. But it doesn’t matter right now, though I am curious who. But let’s deal with Percy first. You could at least be nice to him and not treat him like everyone else is.”
“You know why I can’t.”
“Yes, I do. And it’s fucking ridiculous and not fair to either of you.”
“But that’s how it has to be.”
“No, it doesn’t. You’re making it that way, and I don’t like it.”
“Too bad.”
“Actually, it’s going to be too bad for you, because I’m going to make you be nice to him.”
“We’ll see how well that goes.”
“Yes, unfortunately, we will.”

A couple days later, Chiron called me and Jasmine to the Big House, with Toothless following along.
Mr. D was there, too, both he and Chiron and a couple of invisible players playing pinochle on the front porch.
Long story short, Chiron told me and Jasmine that he was going to offer Percy a quest to find what was stolen from the gods on the winter solstice, because he is suspected of stealing it, and return it to the gods by the summer solstice.
If Percy accepts the quest, it’ll be his decision who assists him on the quest and, as much as I don’t want to go with him, I so badly wanted to go on a quest.
Jasmine and I turned ourselves invisible, me with my hat, her with her powers, and waited as Grover went to go get Percy so we could watch the whole conversation.
Jasmine also turned Toothless invisible right next to us so that he could watch too.
“This is so exciting,” Jasmine whispered to me.
I nodded in agreement. “I know.”
Grover came back with Percy a few minutes later.
Jasmine, Toothless, and I stood behind Chiron.
Grover and Percy walked up the front porch.
“Well, well,” Mr. D said without looking up. “Our little celebrity.”
Percy waited.
“Come closer,” Mr. D said. “And don’t expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father.”
A net of lightning flashed across the clouds over Long Island Sound. Thunder shook the windows of the house.
“Blah, blah, blah,” Mr. D said.
Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.
“If I had my way,” Mr. D said. “I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We’d sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm.”
“Spontaneous combustion *is* a form of harm, Mr. D,” Chiron put in.
“Nonsense,” Mr. D said. “Boy wouldn’t feel a thing. Nevertheless, I’ve agreed to restrain myself. I’m thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father.”
“Mr. D—” Chiron warned.
“Oh, all right,” Mr. D relented. “There’s one more option. But it’s deadly foolishness.”
Mr. D rose, and the invisible players’ cards dropped to the table. “I’m off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I’ll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And, Perseus Jackson, if you’re at all smart, you’ll see that’s a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do.”
Mr. D picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.
He snapped his fingers. The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-press grapes lingering behind.
“Good riddance,” Jasmine whispered.
She was about ready to attack him when he mentioned combusting Percy and turning him into a dolphin, but I managed to hold her back and not blow our cover.
Chiron smiled at Percy, but he looked tired and strained. Even I could tell from just standing behind him.
“Sit, Percy, please,” he said. “And Grover.”
They did.
Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning had he hadn’t gotten to use.
“Tell me, Percy,” he said. “What did you make of the hellhound?”
Percy shuddered. “It scared me. If you hadn’t shot it, I’d be dead.”
“You’ll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you’re done.”
“Done . . . with what?”
“Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?”
He glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.
“Um, sir,” Percy said. “You haven’t told me what it is yet.”
Chiron grimaced. “Well, that’s the hard part, the details.”
Thunder rumbled across the valley.
The storm clouds have now reached the edge of the beach. The sky and the sea looked like they were boiling together.
“Poseidon and Zeus,” Percy said. “They’re fighting over something valuable . . . something that was stolen, aren’t they?”
Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.
This is it. I’m about to find out what’s been happening, and Percy too.
Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. “How did you know that?”
Percy hesitated. “The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she’d overheard something about a theft. And . . . I’ve also been having these dreams.”
“I knew it,” Grover said.
“Hush, satyr,” Chiron ordered.
“But it is his quest!” Grover’s eyes were bright with excitement. “It must be!”
“I agree,” Jasmine whispered to me.
I wasn’t so sure myself.
“Only the Oracle can determine.” Chiron stroked his bristly beard. “Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt.”
Percy laughed nervously. “A *what?*”
“Do not take this lightly,” Chiron warned. “I’m not talking about some tinfoil covered zigzag you’d see in a second-grade play. I’m talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives.”
“Oh.”
“Zeus’s master bolt,” Chiron said, getting worked up now. “The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the titans, the bolt that sheared the top of Mount Etna and Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers.”
“And it’s missing?”
“Stolen,” Chiron said.
“By who?”
“By *whom*,” Chiron corrected. “By you.”
Percy’s mouth fell open.
Jasmine had to cover her mouth with both her hands to keep herself from laughing.
“At least—” Chiron held up a hand— “That’s what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: ‘Mother Rhea always like you best,’ ‘Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,’ et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god’s symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father has convinced a human hero to take it.”
“But I didn’t—”
“Patience and listen, child,” Chiron said. “Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother’s lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn’t sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could have easily snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief.”
“But I’ve never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!”
Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. So did I.
The clouds were rolling straight over our valley instead of parting around us like they usually do.
“Er, Percy . . .” Grover said. “We don’t use the C-word to describe the Lord of the sky.”
“Perhaps paranoid,” Chiron suggested. “Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam. . . .”
He looked at Percy like he expected him to remember question thirty-eight.
“I doubt I could,” Jasmine whispered to me.
“Maybe me too,” I agreed. “I’d remember the question, but not necessarily what number it was.”
Chiron was waiting for an answer from Percy.
“Something about a golden net?” he guessed. “Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods . . . they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn’t let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?”
“Correct,” Chiron said. “And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you’ve come along—the proverbial last straw.”
“But I’m just a kid!”
“Percy,” Grover cut in, “if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he’s fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you. . . . Wouldn’t that put a twist in your toga?”
“But I didn’t do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn’t really have this master bolt stolen, did he?”
Chiron sighed. “Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon’s style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That’s June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus’s temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?”
“Bad?” he guessed.
“Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight.”
“Bad,” Percy repeated.
“And you, Percy Jackson, will be the first to feel Zeus’s wrath.”
It started to rain.
At the volleyball pit, the children of Apollo were playing against some satyrs. They stopped and stared in stunned silence at the sky.
Zeus was punishing the whole camp with this storm because of Percy.
He seemed to realize that himself and didn’t look happy about it.
“So I have to find this stupid bolt,” he said. “And return it to Zeus.”
“What better peace offering,” Chiron said, “than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus’s property?”
“If Poseidon doesn’t have it, where is the thing?”
“I believe I know.” Chiron seemed grim. “Part of a prophecy I had years ago . . . well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle.”
“Why can’t you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?”
“Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge.”
Percy swallowed. “Good reason.”
“You agree, then?”
Percy looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly.
“All right,” Percy said. “It’s better than being turned into a dolphin.”
“Then it’s time you consult the Oracle,” Chiron said. “Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you’re still sane, we will talk more.”

While we were waiting for Percy to get back, we lounged around the front porch, staying invisible just in case.
Jasmine was worried about Percy.
She and I both had heard and sometimes seen what happens to the ones after they got a prophecy from the Oracle. It’s not good. Even we’ve been in her presence, but she never spoke to us like she has to all of the others.
When Percy finally got back minutes later, he didn’t look good.
“Well?” Chiron asked him.
Percy slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. “She said I would retrieve what was stolen.”
Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. “That’s great!”
“What did the Oracle say *exactly?*” Chiron pressed. “This is important.”
“She . . . she said I would go west and face the god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned.”
“I knew it,” Grover said.
Chiron didn’t look satisfied, and neither was I. “Anything else?”
“No,” Percy said, a little hesitant. “That’s about it.”
“He’s lying,” Jasmine whispered to me.
“I know,” I replied.
Chiron studied Percy’s face. “Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle’s words often have double meanings. Don’t dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass.”
“Okay,” Percy said, seeming glad to finally change the subject. “So where do I go? Who’s this god in the west?”
“Ah, think, Percy,” Chiron said. “If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?”
“Somebody else who wants to take over?” he guessed.
“Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom will grow powerful with the death of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken.”
It was pretty obvious to me which god that is.
Even Percy seemed to get it. “Hades.”
Chiron nodded. “The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility.”
A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover’s mouth. “Whoa, wait. Uh—what?”
“A Fury came after Percy,” Chiron reminded him. “She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies only obey one lord: Hades.”
“Yes, but—but Hades hates *all* heroes,” Grover protested. “Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon. . . .”
“A hellhound got into the forest,” Chiron continued. “Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest.”
“Great,” Percy muttered. “That’s two major gods who want to kill me.”
“But a quest to . . .” Grover swallowed. “I mean, couldn’t the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine’s very nice this time of year.”
“Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt,” Chiron insisted. “He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don’t pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead’s motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth.”
Grover was trembling. He’d started eating the pinochle cards.
He wanted to go on the quest to get his searcher’s license, but he was terrified, and now having second thoughts, and I knew why, him being a satyr and all.
But Percy looked filled with anticipation.
“Look, if we know it’s Hades,” he told Chiron, “why can’t we just tell the other gods? Zeus and Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads.”
Jasmine smirked at that idea.
“Suspecting and knowing are not the same thing,” Chiron said. “Besides, even if the other gods do suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn’t retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other’s territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they’re bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero’s actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?”
“You’re saying I’m being used.”
“I’m saying it’s no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It’s a very risky gamble, but he’s in a desperate situation. He needs you.”
I could tell Percy wasn’t so sure what to think of that comment.
He looked at Chiron. “You’ve known I was Poseidon’s son all along, haven’t you?”
“I had my suspicions. As I said . . . I’ve spoken to the Oracle, too.”
I knew what he was referring to. He told me it a couple years ago, and I had a vision of Percy in it.
“So let me get this straight,” Percy said. “I’m supposed to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead.”
“Check,” Chiron said.
“Find the most powerful weapon in the universe.”
“Check.”
“And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days.”
“That’s about right.”
Percy looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.
“Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?” he asked weakly.
“You don’t have to go,” Percy told him. “I can’t ask that of you.”
“Oh . . .” He shifted his hooves. “No, it’s just that satyrs and underground places . . . well . . .”
He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. “You saved my life, Percy. If . . . if you’re serious about wanting me along, I won’t let you down.”
Percy looked relieved.
“All the way, G-man,” he said. Then turned to Chiron. “So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west.”
“The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus does. Right now, of course, it’s in America.”
“Oh. Naturally. So we just get on a plane—”
“No!” Grover shrieked. “Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?”
He shook his head.
“Percy, think,” Chiron said. “You are the son of the Sea God. Your father’s bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus’s domain. You would never come down again alive.”
Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.
“Okay,” Percy said. “So, I’ll travel overland.”
“That’s right,” Chiron said. “Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered along with her companion, that I will allow to go along, only because she’s quite persistent, if you will accept their help.”
“Gee,” Percy said, feigning surprise. “Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?”
That’s our cue.
I took off my hat, Jasmine used her powers on both her and Toothless, and we became visible again.
“That would be us,” Jasmine said.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain,” I said. “Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you’re going to save the world, I’m the best person to keep you from messing up.”
“If you do say so yourself,” Percy said. “I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?”
I got mad at that last comment. “Do you want my help or not?”
“A trio. That’ll work.”
“Hey, don’t forget about me,” Jasmine said. “A quest usually consists of three people, but Annabeth is my best friend, and best friends stay together no matter what. They especially don’t let each other do anything dangerous alone. And Toothless gets to come too. So what do you say?”
“Ok. The more, the merrier.”
Jasmine smiled.
“Excellent,” Chiron said. “This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own.”
Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.
“No time to waste,” Chiron said. “I think you should all get packing.”

**I am not happy right now. I don't think I ever will be again. Do you want to know why? Well . . . I finished reading The Burning Maze about two days after it was released, and if you've read it, then you know why I'm pissed.**
**I just . . . can't believe it. I can't stand it.**
**First, I was surprised to learn that Piper and Jason broke up. Although when it was explained why Piper broke up with him, I got it. She seemed to be more focused on making it like someone else's relationship instead of making it her own. She just needed time. I know she was going to go back to him someday, hopefully soon, and he would be waiting for her. But then . . . NO! NO! NO! JASON! WHY?! FUCK YOU, CALIGULA! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! And then Leo . . . I have never cried so much. He had his whole life ahead of him, even imagined telling his grandchildren all about his adventures with Piper . . . not it may never happen. But even after all of that, I know he doesn't regret anything, as long as Piper survived.**
**Apollo better keep his promise to Jason. It's the least he could do. Not that I blame him at all for his death. Only the actual perpetrator.**
**And I can't believe we have to wait more than a year for the next one! Although, that was explained on Twitter today why.**
**Rest in peace, Jason Grace. You will never be forgotten and will always be loved!**
**Please review** here**.**

**Nobody edit above this box**
## Character Appearances

### Main Characters

* Annabeth Chase
* Jasmine Saturday
* Percy Jackson

### Minor Characters

* Grover Underwood
* Chiron
* Dionysus