Golden Green

Ch. 9

Percy Jackson and the Olympians belong to Rick Riordan. All credit to him.

The longest part of packing was sneaking past all the campers after I suddenly shot up a massive tree then a few minutes later removed it like nothing was ever there.

Cabin four was empty thankfully so I didn't have to sneakily hide my few things into my old duffel bag.

I pulled all my basic clothes out of my trunk and shoved them into the bag, a refill of Ambrosia and Nectar were thrown in some side pockets, all my dracma I never used were still in their leather sack in a corner of the bag, my toothbrush and newer tube of toothpaste were stuffed somewhere and I was finally ready to go.

My tree on my belt, flashlight slash sword in pocket, shield on finger, and snake dog at my heel I ran toward the big house. I ran the long way behind the Arena, Armory, and Stables then finally through the strawberry fields and into the big house from a back door.

Waiting in the silence wasn't bad while I sat in the lazyboy for hopefully not the last time. Argus, the many eyed security officer, walked into the room and leaned onto the doorway frame. He said nothing and only looked at me with his face and hand eyes in his business suit but I felt that I wasn't in trouble.

He was apparently Chiron's go to monster and I had to guess he was probably here to smuggle me and Fidi for the quest, so I stood up from the lazyboy resentfully and Argus nodded his head behind him for me to follow.

We walked silently to the top of half-blood hill and at the bottom on the street I could see a larger and more rectangular car waiting to drive us all into the city. The side of the broad white car had a Strawberry on it with the cover up name of the camp under it. I jogged down to it and climbed into the back doors of it.

Fidi and I sat back there filing down our nails with our teeth when we heard a goat scream outside the van. Grover was upside down and flying down the hill with his feet in the air and backpack dragging through the grass in a green bean hat or whatever, with pants over his goat legs and shoes covering his hoofs with little white birds wings.

Percy and Annabeth were running after him in orange camp half-blood shirts, jeans, and sneaker shoes on trying to catch the Satyr with their backpacks bouncing in the air. Argus followed them and left Chiron out of his wheelchair standing on his horse legs holding his bow up in salute at the top of the hill with what I made out as a mournful smile like it was the last time he was going to see us.

Grover was able to kick off his shoes and climb into the car. Annabeth and Percy joined and they were more than surprised to see me reaching around their shoulders and Fidi hopping into their laps.

While we drove out of the countryside and into where we could see homes and buildings of the city Annabeth only chewed me out more and more for invading on what she resentfully called Percy's quest and gasped, appalled that Argus was letting it happen and kept it secret from her like she was so important that she needed to know everything happening.

Percy and Grover were relieved to have another pair of hands and paws for this very dangerous mission and welcomed me to join them while Annabeth broke down every instance where the number three was perfect and any more or less failed horrible but we all just listened to the radio, which I was in awe of.

For a while me and Percy stared at every car, billboard, and McDonalds restaurant we drove by on the highway in which I subtly asked all the names of, saying I didn't get out much for my story.

"So far so good." Percy tapped Annabeth. "Ten miles and no monsters." She just gave him an irritated look.

"It's bad luck to talk that way, Seaweed Brain."