Between Guilt and Fire (Part 2 of 2)
"Yeah, yeah. You always have a solution… Let's see what it is this time. Going on a quest, right?" Tantalus said with a mildly mocking tone.
Some campers, however, looked at Percy with clear interest. Among them was Clarisse, who at that moment did not look particularly excited, despite the fact that only a few hours earlier she had been celebrated as the champion of the race, with a large feast held in her honor.
"The Golden Fleece," Percy said.
Almost immediately, without giving Tantalus a chance to cut him off with something sarcastic, Percy explained his dream in full. He spoke about Grover, about how he had found him, and about what the Gray Sisters had told him. The exact numbers. The warnings. Everything. Meanwhile, Annabeth supported him by explaining what the Fleece could do, adding details quickly and with precision.
"Nonsense!" Tantalus finally interrupted. "We don't need to be saved," he added, as every gaze turned toward him, unblinking.
For a moment, that attention seemed to make him uneasy.
"Besides, the Sea of Monsters is hardly a reliable lead. And what are all those useless numbers supposed to be?" he added with disdain.
"They're navigation coordinates," Clarisse said suddenly.
Her voice was firm, unexpectedly serious, and for a brief moment she looked at Percy before facing forward again.
"That's right," Percy said, accepting her support even though they did not get along. Right now, it was necessary. "Latitude and longitude. Thirty degrees, thirty-one minutes north. Seventy-five degrees, twelve minutes west," he said slowly.
Even Annabeth looked at him with a hint of surprise, holding his gaze for a few seconds.
"If that's the case, sir, then we need a search operation," Clarisse said immediately, backing Percy's proposal.
Almost at once, other campers began nodding. Hearing Clarisse speak, many of them grew more confident, starting to say out loud that they needed it, that the camp was not safe.
That helped Percy quite a bit, since he was not exactly on the best terms with the camp at that moment, and it showed. Clarisse, on the other hand, clearly was.
"Alright, alright," Tantalus said, silencing them with obvious irritation. "You want a search mission? Fine, I'll allow it. I'll let one of you go after the Fleece, whatever it is… you can even go to the Oracle," he said with clear annoyance. "Even if you die along the way."
He seemed to be trying to scare them, but seeing that many were still smiling, it did not work.
"One of you will be chosen, and that person may take two companions," he added, his gaze sliding toward Percy and Annabeth with barely concealed hatred.
Percy did not mind too much. His priority was rescuing Grover and, at the same time, saving the camp. He was beginning to realize that his quests always seemed to go hand in hand. Saving a friend or family member and, along the way, saving the world. There was something almost ironic about it.
Tantalus, however, did not seem to share that perspective.
"Only one person may receive this honor. The one who demonstrated bravery, honor, and who saved the camp as a first priority… Clarisse La Rue," he announced.
The surprise was immediate. Even Clarisse lifted her head, clearly confused. Percy frowned, and Annabeth murmured under her breath, "That can't be."
"She was the only one who stayed in the race. She won. She proved she has the necessary performance. She passed the trial while the others lost their nerve and abandoned their objective," Tantalus continued. "We need someone like her."
Applause broke out at once. The Ares cabin was the loudest, stomping the ground with thunderous enthusiasm.
Clarisse stood up, still somewhat stunned, but with a pride that was beginning to show.
For a moment, Percy's gaze turned cold as he looked at Tantalus. He said nothing. He made no gesture. He simply watched Clarisse while the others celebrated her.
She seemed to notice that look. She cleared her throat and spoke loudly.
"I, Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, accept the quest to save the camp."
"Good. Just choose the other two and be done with it," Tantalus said.
As he spoke, his eyes drifted back to the marshmallows some campers had dropped on the ground. He stared at them intently, as if he could not look away, even though they were covered in dirt.
Everyone fell silent, expectant, watching Clarisse as she hesitated over whom to choose.
Annabeth stood up immediately.
"You'll need someone with experience on quests," she said in a serious tone.
Clarisse looked at her for a moment before nodding. Annabeth and Percy had completed a dangerous mission the year before, and that mattered.
"I choose Annabeth Chase," she said almost immediately, reinforcing the decision with a firm nod.
Annabeth quickly took her place beside Clarisse.
Then, as if following a logical sequence, Clarisse turned her gaze toward Percy. However, she hesitated. At that moment, Percy was the most powerful demigod in the camp, even if he disliked admitting it. Like Annabeth, he had experience with quests, and he also possessed that strange power in his voice, which could be incredibly useful.
Everyone seemed to notice it. Even Percy.
But he said nothing. He simply watched Clarisse calmly and, more than anything, over Annabeth's head. Something Annabeth noticed once again.
Before Clarisse could choose Percy, Annabeth shook her head quickly, trying to push away the confusion caused by Percy's gaze, and leaned in to whisper something into Clarisse's ear.
That made Percy form a faint smile.
It was not a happy smile. Nor a calm one. It was a sad, dark smile, like that of someone who had just been betrayed, but who, deep down, had already expected it.
Annabeth returned the look, clearly hurt. Seeing that expression on Percy made something sting in her chest, especially when she noticed that smile.
Percy stood up and began walking toward his cabin, his gaze lost on nothing at all, his steps heavy, as if each one weighed more than the last. Tyson quickly ran after him.
He saw him with his head lowered.
"Are you okay, Percy?" he asked softly.
"Yeah. I always am," Percy replied with a forced smile. Even so, his irritation was unmistakable. A faint aura began to leak out, just enough for a few campers passing nearby to step away nervously. It was starting to resemble the aura Miraak released when he was angry, though unlike his, that one could probably knock a mortal unconscious with ease.
"You'd already seen it, right?" Tyson asked carefully, making Percy stop. "With that power of yours… the threads," he added.
"Sorry. I heard you telling the master that your power changed, that you could see images now," Tyson said, almost like someone admitting they had done something wrong.
"It's fine," Percy said, looking at him calmly. "Yeah. You're right. I can see some images. And since the first day I saw Annabeth again, the only one that keeps coming back is the same. That exact moment."
His tone grew heavier with each word.
"I thought that knowing it wouldn't affect me this much, that I'd be prepared for it… I was wrong," he said at last.
Then he started walking again, straight toward his cabin, as if he had finally made a decision. Something he had been hesitating over before. But not anymore.