RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

4

"WELL,WELL," DYONISUS SAID ONCE PERCY CAME IN AND VIVIENE'S BLOOD BOILED."Our little celebrity."

If she had known Percy was coming to this meeting,she never would have let Grover drag her here from training.

"Come closer," Dyonisus said to Percy. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

"Same goes for me." Viviene grumbled in annoyance."I'm only here because Chiron and Mr.D need me."

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweepup the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrainmyself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father." Dionysus' comment made Viviene chuckle and brinng a small smile to her lips. The image of Percy as a dolphin was hilarious.

"Mr. D-" Chiron warned.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness."Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. 

"I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic security pass.He snapped his fingers.The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he wasgone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

"Sit, Percy, please. And Grover."Chiron said with a forced smile. Grover sat down next to Viviene and Percy sat opposite of the two,but still far away from the girl that wanted to kill him. Chiron put the cards on the table."Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

"It scared me," he said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."

"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."

"Done ... with what?"

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"

"Um, sir," Percy said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."

"Well, that's the hard part, the details."Chiron grimaced.

Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. 

"Poseidon and Zeus," Jackson  said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"