I was positive I wasn't the only demigod who had been in the principal's office more than fifty times. When you're a hyperactive, impulsive, only-child manners will only get you so far. 

But to tell you the truth, I hated school. Being stuck in a cold building for eight hours in the same  seat wasn't exactly my idea of fun. My boredom used to get me in all sorts of trouble, like the time I tried to pet my eighth grade teacher's snake and accidentally let it lose during silent reading time. That stunt earned me six weeks of detention and chalkboard cleaning duty.

      I felt like I was eight all over again; my hands clasped firmly in my lap, waiting in a stiff uncomfortable chair as I watched the one adult responsible for me attempt to make a decision.

     Watching Chiron pace around his office was a mixture between the funniest thing I'd ever seen and the scariest. Funny because his horsetail was whipping around frantically in all directions, and frightening because I had absolutely no clue as to what was on his mind. His stern expression was troubled yet neutral at the same time.

    Was he going to banish me from camp under the assumption that I'd stolen from Hades? Would he suspend me from all camp activities for getting into a fight with another camper? Or would he take my side? He had to. I was innocent.

   "Percy," Chiron motioned for Percy to approach him. They whispered back and forth frivolously, as if one was arguing a point against the other.

   "-but why would anyone attempt to steal from the gods again?"

   "-doesn't make any sense..."

   "-question her innocence!" 

    They were talking about me like I wasn't even in the room. I wanted to interrupt them more than anything. I wanted to latch onto Chiron's furry front leg and plead with him to believe me. It was true, I had no idea what Nico was talking about. Coincidentally, it was the second time this week that I had been accused of stealing from Hades.

   "Excuse me," I cleared my dry throat. "I'm really sorry I cut Nico's arm, Mr. Chiron...sir. I didn't want to get into a fight. I promise it'll never happen again. Honest." I tried my best to sound sincere, even giving him my famous puppy dog eyes.

   "My dear child," Chiron trotted over to where I was anxiously awaiting his response, "there is no need to apologize. Nico Di Angelo's attack was completely unprecedented. You did what any logical person would do."

    The way he spoke to me almost made me want to cry. Usually it took me about five or six tries to get an adult to believe me or let me off with a warning, but Chiron looked at me with the upmost respect and sincerity in his eyes as if he didn't doubt a single word I said.

"Oh, well," I found my face feeling hotter and hotter by the second, "it wasn't just me out there, you know. I did have some help."

"And I am very aware of that. Percy is a marvelous warrior as well. You'll be lucky to have him on your quest."

   "My what?"

   "Her what?"

    Percy and I's voices harmonized in unison. 

   "Why, of course. An accusation of such magnitude requires an investigation."

   "Chiron, she can't go on a quest she's been here for two days," Percy protested, "Orion doesn't even know how to use her powers yet. She can't fight! She doesn't even have a sword of her own!"

   "Gee, thanks for the words of encouragement. So glad I have a solid support system here," I tried my hardest not to choke Percy, "may I remind you I took down the Minotaur with a single arrow!"

   "I'm only telling the truth! Plus, as much as I'd love to risk my life for your problems, I actually can't go on a quest with you."

   I cocked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? You have something better to do?"

   "News flash, not everyone wants to make a career out of being a hero. I have college tours to go on, people to meet, and a life of my own to build. I've been through this once in my life and I don't need you dragging me into this again!"

   "You think I wanted this, Wonder Boy?" I could feel a familiar tug in my gut and heat forming on the tips of my fingers. "If it was up to me I never would've come to this stupid, no good, lousy-"

   Chiron raised his hand in objection to Percy and I's back and forth bickering. "Silence, you two. I have heard quite enough. Orion, you will consult with the Oracle of Delphi tomorrow morning. She will read you a prophecy that will help guide you on your quest. You will be able to chose two other companions on your journey, however I must strongly advise you to ask for Percy. His powers and expertise in battle will help you in ways you cannot imagine. And I must also strongly advice Percy to denounce his stubborn, childlike behavior and accept the invitation." Percy sheepishly looked at his hands as Chiron scolded him like a little boy.

   "No matter, we have until tomorrow morning to discuss this further. It is getting late. You'd both be wise to get a good nights rest. Especially you, Orion."

   I nodded but deep down I knew I wasn't going to be able to get one wink of sleep with so much on my mind. How could anyone possibly bear this much pressure?

   Percy and I walked out of the Big House together in complete silence, too uncomfortable or embarrassed to speak. Instead of turning to look at him, I kept my eyes fixated on the cabins in the distance. Cabin seven, home to the children of Apollo, were huddled around a campfire playing their musical instruments and singing songs. On the opposite side of the semicircle, the Demeter cabin was peacefully watering the miniature gardens in their windowsills.

 Katie, the cabin's counselor was whispering words of encouragement to newcomers as they harnessed their powers to make the colorful flowers bloom. Even the Hermes cabin seemed to be having a great time. 

Cabin eleven was doing its weekly inspection; Travis Stoll was holding up a stink bomb and plugging his nose while the entire cabin erupted into a fit of laughter. Everyone looked like a family, and my heart ached knowing I would never share that company.

    Percy and I stopped in front of our cabins, awkwardly standing side by side.

   "Hey I was-" He began to speak but my voice clashed with his.

   "So, listen-"

   We laughed nervously, unsure of what to say next.

  "You first," Percy scratched the back of his unruly hair.

  "I was going to say I'm sorry. And you were right. It was completely selfish of me to claim you as my own personal demigod guidance counselor. You have your own life to live and my problems are mine alone. It's fine if you don't want to go on my quest with me, I really do understand. No hard feelings."

   I could've sworn I saw Percy blush underneath the golden flicker of torches.

   "Oh, um," he cleared his throat. "I actually wanted to say I was wrong. Look, I remember what it was like when I first got here. Grover was my only friend, I didn't know how to fight with my own sword, let alone how to control my powers. It really helped me out having a few experienced friends by my side during my first quest. I'd be proud to be by your side during your first quest."

    Now it was my turn to blush. "Why are you helping me if you barely know me?"

   Percy shrugged. "We're demigods. It's in our blood to help people and do the right thing. No matter how insanely annoying being a demigod can get, it doesn't change the fact that you are one. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He gave me a slight nod, and began to walk into his cabin.

   "Percy," I called out for him. "Two things. One, your fly's been open all day. And two...thank you. Not just for, you know...tonight, but for everything," I smiled at him.

   He shook his head one last time before I saw it disappear into the mysterious sea cabin.

***
    Turns out, the Oracle of Delphi's name wasn't Delphi. Or Daphne. Or anything that sounded cool and ancient; her name was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was a spunky red headed mortal girl from Manhattan that lived in the attic of the Big House and could predict the future. Casual.

  "Let me get this straight," she combed her curly mane with a blue plastic hairbrush while her green eyes scanned me up and down like she was deciding whether she liked me or not. "You're here for a prophecy? Already? Didn't you just get to camp three days, six hours twenty six minutes and seven seconds ago?"

   I stared blankly at the neurotic girl blabbering in front of me. Strangely enough, she wasn't annoying. Actually, she was the complete opposite; every time she spoke I felt undermined and challenged. She seemed smart and quick to think on her feet. 

   "Oops, sorry," she covered her mouth as if she'd just belched, "Almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rachel, by the way." The girl stuck her heavily freckled hand out at me.

  I shook it, warily, and smiled. "Orion Vera."

   "I know," Rachel smiled back. She studied me again and I wondered if she was seeing my future. What did my future look like?

   "So, let's begin shall we?" The girl clapped her hands together and began to gather materials from her room. The place looked like it had been decorated by gypsies and raided by bears. Her clothes were sprawled out across every corner of the floor; if you wanted to walk across the place comfortably, you'd have to step on two neon bras, a spare camp t-shirt and three hundred different pairs of socks.

 I couldn't help but notice the abundant art supplies amongst the scattered mess. The littered bottles of acrylic paint and dozens of art brushes covering the floor reminded me of my mother's restless nights, back when she would stay awake until four in the morning finishing her paintings without so much as a bite to eat or a bathroom break. 

Colored tapestries and art pieces covered every inch of her wall space, along with hundreds of neon sticky notes. As I got closer I could see they were not only notes, but dozens of what looked like poems and couplets.

   "You think they're poems, don't you?" Rachel wasn't even looking at me. Her head was crouched downwards as she dug through an old drawer. "Everyone always assumes."

  "Um, yeah. Some of these are actually pretty good."

   "Ha!" She snorted an odd laugh. "Thanks, but those are just some good old prophecies. It's really weird, actually. Sometimes they just hit me out of nowhere and...AHA!"

   I jumped, startled from her abrupt yell.

  "Here you go," she handed me a plain sheet of notebook paper and an old pencil, "if you could just write down everything I say then show it to Chiron once we're done, we'll be all set!"

  I cocked an eyebrow. "Can't you just remember what you said and repeat it?"

  "You know how sometimes you black out when you're mad?"

  "Yeah...wait how did you-"

   "Well the same thing happens to me, amiga. I can't remember a word of anything I say while I'm the oracle unless someone writes it down for me. That's what all of these are for," she gestured to the hundreds of tacked up notes around us, then sat cross legged on her floor, "now, let's do this."

   Not even two seconds after she had taken a seat, Rachel's eyes began to glow green. And not just a light sparkle, or a distant gleam; her eyes looked like burning green coals that were about to sear out of her eye sockets. She opened her mouth to speak, letting out stormy, green clouds of gas. Then she began to speak; except it wasn't her voice. It was an ancient chorus of mumbles. Rachel sounded like a hundred different women combined into one.

    "I am the spirit of Delphi. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."

    My jaw was practically hitting the floor. There was no way this was actually real. "How do I find Hades' spear?"

   "Three brothers in toil and trouble while
the depths of Tartarus stir and bubble.

   The daughter of the skies bears an oath                                                                                                               to the only half mortal king of ghosts.   

    A son of the sea will unleash at hand                                                                                                   annihilation to a giant beneath land.

     Beware the daughter of the wise one's seduction;
Only she will lead to pure destruction. 

    If the three chosen ones fail,
Earth will erupt into chaos and hell."

   My hand ached as it ran across the paper, trying to keep up with Rachel's rapid groans. As she spoke her last word, she collapsed completely.

   "Rachel?" I shook her shoulder gently. "Earth to Rachel! Are you okay?" But the girl didn't respond. Her chest was barely moving.

   "Help, somebody help!" I screamed, now shaking Rachel's lifeless body in a rushed panic. Had she died predicting my quest?

   Chiron and Danny burst through the door and rushed to my side in a matter of seconds. Danny took Rachel's head in his hands and placed it in his lap without saying a word.

    "Why are you two just standing there? She's-"

   "Not to worry, Orion," Chiron's calm voice immediately soothed my agitated nerves, "Rachel must rest before returning to her mortal state. What she does requires tremendous amounts of energy."

   As if on cue Rachel gasped and revealed her normal fluorescent green eyes.

   "Whew," she sat up straight, obviously used to going in and out of her oracle trances, "so, what'd I miss?"

   Without asking, she swiped the notebook paper out of my hands and repeated the words she'd just said to Danny and Chiron.

   "Wow," she sighed. "This doesn't look...great."

   "That would explain the bickering between the Gods," Chiron began to pace Rachel's room.

    Suddenly it clicked. The golden eagle, the black Pegasus trying to attack me and the agonized screams of tortured souls.

   "Zeus, Poseidon and Hades are fighting, aren't they?" I began to connect the dots floating around in my head. This explained the violent dreams I'd been having for months. 

"Someone stole something from Hades. He's blaming his brothers and they're...mad. They're insulted."

   Chiron studied me grimly. "Correct. But it is not only Hades who had his spear stolen from him. Zeus is missing his master lightning bolt, and Poseidon is missing his trident."

   "Why would each of the brothers steal the other's symbol of power? It makes no sense," I frowned.

   Chiron shook his head. Something wasn't adding up. "The sooner you leave for your quest the better your chances are of finding your answers. Go to the arena. You will chose two campers to accompany you on your quest. Remember what we talked about last night."

   I nodded, knowing I needed to bring Percy with me. I knew he'd been on Olympus a couple of times, and even met some of the gods. But who else would be willing to risk their life to accompany me on a quest to seek out Zeus, Poseidon and Hades? Surely no one was stupid enough to actually volunteer for these things.

    The entire camp was waiting for me at the arena. I walked to the middle of the dirt coliseum and took a deep breath. I needed Percy so he could appeal to his father. That was a no brainer. 

But if we were to seek out Poseidon, we'd have to speak to Zeus too. I felt a sudden pang in the pit of my stomach at the thought of merely seeing my real father. We had never met; the man hadn't seen me since I was a baby. Would he even recognize me? I tried my hardest to shove my personal feelings aside and began to scan the crowd of anxious campers as I looked for my third and final companion.

   Everyone's eyes were on me once again. I caught Stacy Knoxville sneering to one of her goons in the Ares cabin. They snickered and rolled their eyes. They doubted me. Even after my countless efforts to prove myself at this camp, they all still doubted me.

    "I think I'm ready," I whispered to Mr. D, who was standing next to me. I half expected the guy to roll his eyes or make a sarcastic comeback, but I think even he could sense the seriousness of the situation I was in.

  "I choose Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon," I called out. He stood from the third row of the coliseum. Campers clapped him on the back as he made his way to the center where I was standing.

    "Who's next?" He whispered once he was at my side.

His guess was as good as mine.

    I remembered Rachel's prophecy. Beware the daughter of the wise one's seduction. I had only met one daughter of the goddess of wisdom.

 "My last choice is Paris Cantor, daughter of Athena."

   There were whispers and murmurs as Paris made her way to where Percy stood. He was just as bewildered as everyone else. Everyone in the Athena cabin was staring at me with their stone grey eyes, but none dared to speak out.

  "You couldn't have picked Danny?" Percy hissed through his teeth as Paris came closer and closer.

   "This is my quest. I know what I'm doing." I tried my hardest to lie through my teeth but it sounded more like I was trying to convince myself rather than Percy.

   "Congratulations to you three, blah, blah, blah. You leave at sundown tonight. Any questions?" Mr. D scowled at us as we shook our heads in unison. "It's settled, then. Your quest begins tonight."