บท 104: Quest for Wind begins

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{Camp Half-Blood, 12th of June 2006}

Percy POV

My head was still spinning as I stuffed the last of my supplies into my backpack. A Roman camp? A brother of Thalia's we never knew about? And what was this about Ozzy failing his quest? Still I didn't have time to think about this, somehow I knew that this was important, that I had to do it, that I was made for this.

I gave my cabin one last look, wondering when – or if – I'd see it again. These quests had a nasty habit of going sideways, if what most myths would lead you to believe, and I had a feeling this one would be no different. With a sigh, I shouldered my pack and headed out, Riptide a comforting weight in my pocket.

Outside, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the camp. Campers were going about their usual activities.

I made my way towards Thalia's or now just simply the Pine Tree, our designated meeting spot, and where we would get Lailaps' help. As I walked, I couldn't help but marvel at how quickly things had changed. Just this morning, Grover and I had been goofing off in my cabin, celebrating his new searcher's license. Now, we were about to embark on a quest that could change everything we thought we knew about the world of gods and monsters.

I approached the hill, I saw that Annabeth and Grover were already there. Annabeth was double-checking her bag, while Grover nervously chewed on a tin can – his comfort food of choice.

"Hey guys," I called out as I joined them. "Any sign of Thalia?"

Annabeth looked up from her map, her grey eyes stormy with thought. "Not yet. She said she had to grab something."

Grover bleated nervously. "I hope she hurries. The longer we stay here, the more I think about all the ways this quest could go horribly wrong."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, G-man. Where's your sense of adventure?"

He gave me a withering look. "I think I left it back in the strawberry fields, along with my sanity."

Before I could retort, I spotted Thalia making her way up the hill. She had her spear slung over her shoulder and a determined look on her face that I'd learned to both admire and fear.

"Sorry I'm late," she said as she reached us. "I had to make sure everything was in order."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "In order for what?"

Thalia just shook her head. "You'll see. Come on, we've got a long journey ahead of us."

We started to move towards the camp's borders, but as we neared Thalia's Pine, something caught my eye. The sight, that was always there ever since Ozzy left.

Perched on the lower branches of the pine tree were three crows, their black feathers gleaming in the fading sunlight. But it was what lay beneath the tree that really caught my attention.

A massive Tibetan Mastiff with jet-black fur was sprawled on the ground, its size making it look more like a small bear than a dog. Curled up on top of the mastiff was a small fox, also with black fur. Their was always something that slightly creeped me out about them, ther eyes – a deep, almost glowing purple.

"Uh, guys?" I said, my hand instinctively moving towards my pen, something that appeared in my pocket when I reached the cabin and had now become my one and only weapon.

Thalia walked right up to the massive dog as all of us just stayed there.

She knelt down next to the mastiff and gently placed a hand on its massive head. "Lailaps," she said softly. "We need your help."

The dog – Lailaps – let out a low growl her eyes closing and opening rythmically. Those purple orbs fixed on Thalia with an intelligence that sent a shiver down my spine.

The fox on Lailaps' back stirred, stretching and yawning to reveal a set of sharp teeth. It looked at us with those same purple eyes, its gaze curious and somehow... mischievous?

What happened next nearly made me jump out of my skin. Lailaps and the fox started... talking? Well, not talking exactly, but they were definitely communicating through a series of growls, yips, and what I could only describe as cackles.

I walked closer to Grover and whispered in his ear, "What are they saying?"

"They are just talking about what fruit is the best," Grover replied. I looked at him for a moment and then at the duo that had an intense look on their faces.

After a few seconds, Lailaps stood up, causing the fox to tumble off its back with an indignant yelp. The mastiff turned its massive head towards us and gave a single, solemn nod.

Thalia walked closer to the animals, a small smile playing on her lips. "Lailaps please we need your help."

The dog growled, for a moment. Thalia looked back at Grover and asked, "What did she say?"

"She asked, where do you want to go?"

Thalia started to scratch the dog's head and said, "We need to go to the Roman Camp, do you remember where it is?"

Lailaps barked, and I didn't even need Grover to translate, even I knew it mean 'Of course, wh0o do you think I am.'

Lailaps, then began sniffing the air a few seconds. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the massive dog's pupils dilated, expanding until her eyes were almost entirely black.

Lailaps let out a low, rumbling growl that seemed to vibrate the air around us. The fox – Swiper – yipped excitedly, and the crows above us cawed in unison.

Thalia yelled up to the crows, "No you can't come with us, stay here and protect camp, like Ozzy told you."

The crows cawed once more, but I could feel that their voices, were dejected? I whispered to Grover, "What did they say?"

"They said, that they never get to do anything fun."