mastermind - percy jackson

iv. the quest

"you're staying here."

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Mr. D waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles or red wine. Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of them were underage. Mr. D sighed an with a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Mr. D and Chiron, who was in wheelchair form, sat at one end of the table. Zoe, Cassandra, and Bianca di Angelo took the other end. Thalia, Grover, and Percy sat along the right, and the other head counselors— Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers sat on the left, along with Demeter's winter counselor Miranda Gardiner and the replacement counselor for Athena, some girl name Addison. Ares cabin was supposed to send a representative too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs "accidentally" during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunter's. They were resting in the infirmary.

"This is pointless" Cassandra said starting off the meeting on a positive note.

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He bean scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk" Zoe continued "Our goddess needs us. The Hunter's must leave immediately."

"And go where?"

"West!" Bianca said "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the the goddess in chains. We can get six Hunter's and go." 

Cassandra began counting off people on her fingers before nodding like she had found the perfect six hunters to go.

"Yes" Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual" Thalia interrupted. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe argued "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your" Thalia corrected making Cassandra glare at her. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times"

Zoe hesitated like she was trying to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help." Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet "One shall be lost. One shall perish. One shall crack. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D" Chiron sighed "With all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together" Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced but Thalia had a point.

"One point to Sparky" Cassandra muttered. 

"We must not delay" Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh joy" Mr. D muttered "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis has to be at the solstice" Cassandra said. "She is the most vocal goddess on fighting against Kronos. If she isn't there we're going to lose yet another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked the blonde.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."