The Silver Ring (PJO)

Chapter 3

Waking up on the first day of summer after graduating feels well-earned, and amazing. After all, who can say no to several months off after a year of studying?

That's the same experience that I had, only my arduous efforts looked like a Titan compared to a test. Waking up after two wars, and after months of torturous dreams, only to be replaced by rest, torturous training, and the occasional monster . . . it was a dream come true.

And that's why every new day didn't feel worn out. Even after a month, I still felt like I was on a well-deserved vacation. 

But when a mission comes up, I'm just a bundle of nerves, and the only thing I can do is panic until I reason myself through.

And so, when I woke up, staring at the ceiling of my cabin, the first thought to come to mind was oh no. And second, was it all a dream?

I kept laying on my bed, not bothering to move. Sunlight streamed through the gaps of the windows, lighting the cabin up. Since my body always kicks me out of my dreams at the same time, I knew it was 6:00 a.m.

It took a few minutes for my mind to understand the situation and confirm that it was real.And when that happened, I immediately jumped off the bed. it wasn't because I wanted to start the mission, and it wasn't because I wanted to go on a jog at an ungodly hour.

Instead, my bladder was about to burst. I raced to the bathroom, my speed contesting Hermes'. Once I emptied my bladder, I could think again. I flopped back onto my bed, flicking on the lights as I did.

My mind was whirling through questions. Did an Olympian steal the bracelet, or was it one of my friends? How could I interrogate the Olympians without them zapping me? 

I rubbed my forehead in frustration. As I did, the sunlight glinted off a foreign object on my ring finger.

My eyes widened in surprise.

It was a ring.

A silver ring, in more detail, with beautiful engravings and designs. 

My immediate thought was to blame Chaos.

Most of them were unfamiliar, but I could recognize the one that was on the top: a bow and a quiver. I felt like I knew what it was representing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

The times I need to be smart, I thought. I can't be smart.

But I didn't give up. Instead, I stubbornly stared at the ring, trying to come up with something. I felt like the silver color and bow worked together to represent something, something like—

My forming thought was immediately blasted into bits by a conch or, the signaling of breakfast. I growled, irritated. I could imagine Chaos laughing at me from wherever he was, thinking my bad luck was hilarious. I was sure I was on the right track, but I had lost the thought.

I decided to go and eat breakfast, then try to figure out the mystery with a full stomach. I opened the door, walking to the dining pavilion, closing it behind me.

At least, that was supposed to happen. Since I was so distracted, trying to figure the mystery out, I didn't notice my crumpled bedsheets on the ground, which fell during my hurried pilgrimage to the bathroom. With my luck, my feet somehow got tangled in them, and I fell painfully to the ground, the bedsheets knotted more than a pair of earbuds.

I cursed loudly as I got up. In a way, I kind of felt like this was a foreshadowing of the full day. I had a gut feeling that Chaos personally was orchestrating the day's events, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I made a mental promise to myself to bludgeon Chaos to death next time I meet him.

But for now, I had to start the day. I hopped up, taking care not to trip over piles of weapons, and other objects that I had neglected to organize. Unfortunately for me, the next cabin check was in a week, which meant I had to live with the fear of stepping on a spear for several days before cleaning everything up the last minute.

One might say that I was a procrastinator and unorganized—which might be true—but I would call it "saving my energy."

In other words, I was procrastinating.

I opened the door, walking out. Before I could fully close the door behind me, I saw Dad's statue in the middle of the cabin, his open mouth spewing infinite water into a basin.

I hesitated, but then decided to go to the statue, and pray for help. 

The closer I got, the more detail I could see on the stone bust. Whoever had made it was a master. Dad was in a heroic pose, with his trident out in front of him, like a gigantic fork. If the bust was real, and I was fighting it, I would've run away screaming.

In what seemed like five seconds, I reached. I took a deep breath, resisting the urge of just walking away. "Hey . . . Dad," I winced at the greeting. "I . . . have a feeling that something is going to happen . . . and basically . . . I want . . ." I took a deep breath. I could feel my full face turn red as a lobster, and my nerves weren't helping my prayer. "Please help me as much as you can. Thanks."

I walked away, embarrassed but feeling like a load had been taken off my shoulders. I had done everything I could to ask for help from deities, and I figured I was covered in the prayer department.

With newfound courage, I stepped out of my cabin for the second time, planning to get a bite to eat.

But like anything concerning me, things didn't go quite as planned.