บท 29: Chapter 26: Hermes, the spy of the Gods
I finished demigod diaries and started ship of the death and I have a question. Should Percy free Lamia and give her back her children? Should he lift the demigod scent? I have no idea.
_____________________________________
"Cheaters?" I asked out loud.
"How did we cheat?" Katie wondered.
"I did not cheat." Tyson cried out, looking slightly panicked.
"Nyx and Percy summoned the pigeons!" Tantalus said angrily, causing Nyx to scowl. "We did what?"
"Those pigeons were not summoned by us." I said.
"The boundaries are weakening, that's the reason the birds could enter the campers!" Katie said, her eyes glaring daggers at Tantalus.
The poor birds were just minding their own business but the ridiculous driving of you four drove them crazy, and so they started attacking the innocent campers" Tantalus shouted, though it looked like he had a hard time believing his own ridiculous claims.
Dionysus threw up his hands in an exaggerated manner and yelled, "wel...l I need to check on the...strawberries!" And with that he flashed away.
Nyx summoned a void black dagger in her hand. "Well it looks like Dionysus has business to attend."
None of the campers made a move to stop her.
Tantalus began to laugh nervously but as Nyx drew closer it quickly turned into panic. "You can't do that, I'm a son of Zeus!" He yelled seeing her smile. He then looked at me and Katie, "you guys can't let her do this! I am the camp director!"
"Well you are technically a monster! You killed your own kids." Katie spat.
"Bad king." Tyson agreed.
"Well if anyone thinks we should spare him, raise your hand." Nyx said and I could tell she was really pissed off this time. Tantalus should've congratulated her instead of accusing us.
None of the campers liked Tantalus enough to stand up for him. A few even gave her thumbs up.
'Maybe you should not kill him.' I suggested.
'I think she is no longer listening to reason.' Aether commented.
Nyx shadow traveled away and reappeared sitting on Tantalus' neck, her legs wrapped around him and her dagger onto his throat. The weight of Nyx made Tantalus stumble backwards and fall to the ground but Nyx shadow traveled on top of him. With her knee on his throat and her dagger on his forehead.
"I can't die!" Tantalus yelled.
Nyx smiled evilly, like she was enjoying this. "This dagger I made myself, it's made of hardened void. You know what that means? It's literally made out of nothing."
"I've never heard of such a thing." Charles Beckendorf said, genuinely interested in her dagger.
"Because it doesn't exist. It's made of nothing but hardened and do you know what happens if I decide to write my name with it on his skin?" Nyx asked with a sadistic smile.
"It hurts?" I wondered.
"Yes, it hurts a lot but all the wounds this blade causes will be sucked into the void. They will never heal unless I want it too. Not even ambrosia will help."
"That's really cool!" Travis called out. "Can you imagine how many pranks you could do with such a knife?"
He gazed at a few Aphrodite campers with a sneaky grin.
It was kind of disturbing to see how many of us were okay with Nyx torturing Tantalus but he kind of had it coming. We are demigods.
"So now apologize and give me the golden Laurel!" Nyx hissed.
"Never!" Tantalus sneered and spit at Nyx.
"O." Tyson said dryly.
"I think I'm gonna write loser on your forehead." Nyx said and she readied her dagger.
She was about to scratch his skin when someone came walking through the crowd that had gathered around Tantalus. He pushed a few campers aside while loudly apologizing for it.
The man had salt- pepper-hair and had a sly smile, he was in his thirties and wore jogging clothes and for a second the campers wondered if a random mortal wandered into camp. That was until a few recognized the similarities between the man and the Hermes campers.
"Hermes!" Will called out and all the campers except Nyx, Tantalus and I bowed. Nyx because she was threatening Tantalus and I because I knew Hermes did not want people to bow to him.
"Get up demigods!" He said and all the campers got up. He made his way to the circle around Tantalus. He smirked when he saw Tantalus pinned to the ground. "Well Tantalus, I see Zeus send you to camp. Guess it is really a bigger punishment than the Underworld."
I realised Hermes must have been one of the Gods who had eaten his children without knowing. With clear regret the God of the messengers calmly said. "Sadly I must ask you to let him go, for now."
Nyx pouted but got up and made her way over to me.
'When he is dismissed from camp I'm gonna beat him up.' She told me through our mental link.
"What are you doing here?" Tantalus asked, coughing and rubbing his throat.
Hermes scowled, "Zeus ordered you to appoint a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece and save the camp, with the fleece you can restore the magical borders to what they once were."
Hushed whispers and rumors started to rise. People wondering what the Fleece was, where it was and if it could really save us.
"Why, this camp doesn't need to be saved." Tantalus complained loudly. This caused the crowd to glare at him.
"Fine." He muttered, "I shall pick a camper to lead a quest and hope he or she will safely return."
It was obviously sarcasm.
All the campers looked at me, expecting me to be chosen, however to everyone's surprise he called out, "Clarisse! Clarisse shall lead the quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece! She can choose two companions and will hopefully manage to secure this camp's safety!"
"But…" Clarisse muttered but Tantalus cut her of, "It's now your quest!" And with that he walked away.
Hermes snickered before turning towards me, "Percy, can I speak to you in private?"
I glanced at Nyx.
"I'll take her," Katie said and Nyx pouted.
"I don't need to be looked after," she protested.
'Yes, you do.' Chaos said.
'MOM!' Nyx yelled.
'She is right though,' Aether said.
'My family betrays me,' Nyx pouted.
I followed Hermes to the beach where we looked over the shore. Calm waves brushed against the sand. I knew that if I failed to secure the Fleece this entire place would become a battlefield.
"Why did you want to speak with me?" I asked Hermes, already knowing the answer.
Hermes flashed me a smile. "As always I am a messenger, for you I got a letter and a request from the Gods. If you accept the request I even have a few gifts."
"Great, what's the request?" I asked.
"The Gods want you to retrieve the golden fleece, behind Tantalus's back." He said.
I scowled, "what? They want me to do it behind his back?"
Hermes nodded, "we are painfully aware of your situation with the hearth but we believe you're the best shot we have at retrieving the fleece and most of us do not trust Tantalus. We think he might be manipulated by Kronos instead of Chiron. Zeus however trusts his traitorous son more then the centaur who protected our kids for years."
"Wait Zeus doesn't know about this plan?" I asked.
Hermes grinned, "the best plans are the ones no one knows about."
"So who does know about the plan?"
"Demeter, Poseidon, Dionysus, Apollo, Hestia and Aphrodite. We all agreed it might be better if someone more capable would do it. Someone who cares alot about camp."
"Aphrodite? Dionysus?" I asked.
Hermes saw my confusion and quickly explained. "Well Dionysus said he might feel some regret if this camp would be overrun with monsters and Aphrodite is one of the Olympians with the most children at camp."
I chuckled. "Okay, what's the plan?"
"You sneak out of camp with your friends, at eleven AM there will be a cruise ship passing through Long island sound. It will take you and your friends close enough to the Bermuda Triangle."
"Bermuda Triangle?" I asked, faking confusion.
"Yeah Apollo had some dreams and hinted at the fact that I could be there." Hermes admitted. "Most of the things lost at sea end there. If you want to find the Fleece that place might give you the best chance at finding it."
"O." was all I said.
"Oh, before I forget." Hermes said and he got a phone out of his pocket, Two snakes twirled around it.
Oh, here is the demigod I heard all about. Martha said.
"There are snakes on your phone." I stated.
Oh, this one is smart! Maybe he can fetch us some rats. George said.
Hermes looked annoyed. He said, "introduce yourselves."
I'm George and the second fiddle is Martha. George said. Martha began chasing him around the phone.
That's not true, we both know Hermes likes me more. Martha protested.
Hermes shook his phone a few times while muttering something about vibration mode. This made the two snakes shut up.
'Martha if you would be so kind to give Percy his letter from Apollo." Hermes said and Martha opened her mouth and spit out an envelope.
I wouldn't touch that, it was inside Martha's mouth. George told me.
Oh shut it!
I caught the letter and opened it, curious about what Apollo could have sent me.
Hey Percy!
Thanks for the flying shoes!
I expect a new haiku next time we meet!
Also, Artemis keeps complaining about the fact that I can fly now, which is awesome!
Expect my little sister to ask for flying shoes the next time you see her (even though a Minotaur horn was a better gift for her, whatever).
Oh and don't worry about your powers and so on, I did a quick scan and it appears you still have your immunity to cold and fire and water still heals you! Oh and you can breath in it!
Give it a week and you will be all okay!
Until then, avoid using any of your powers or the lights will go out.
Figuratively speaking of course, I will drive my chariot through the sky, no matter if you faint or not.
Also one of my oracles began acting weird and gave me a prophecy for you! Aren't you lucky?
Here's the prophecy;
Chained by flames, Raise your sail,
Without Demeter's daughter you shall fail,
Free the lost from their jail,
And stop the song of madness to no avail.
Now I know it might sound bad and scary but don't worry, I have all the faith in the world you can pull off an awesome quest!
Bye!
From your awesome cousin, Apollo.
The rest of the conversation was a blur, I got the thermos of the Winds and Multivitamins but I couldn't care less. I had a big problem. Another prophecy involving me, which should be impossible since I was free from Fate.
What is going on?
The first line was clear, I was chained by the hearth from my powers. And setting my sail meant I had to leave to the open sea. But what about the others? What was the song of madness? Maybe the Sirens? Would I fail to ignore the Sirens? Who were the lost I would free from their jail?
But the biggest problem was, Without Demeter's daughter you shall fail. Well Meg was unconscious so I had to leave without her. Was my quest doomed to fail?
=================================
p atreon : Moonhorse
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง