Demigod-Witch

Chapter 17

When I look around again, I can see Camp Half-Blood.  We're right inside the border of it, and Hades, Annabeth, and Percy are all sitting up around me.  Percy rubs his eyes, and Annabeth slowly stands.  Mr. D is standing with his arms crossed in front of me.

"Well I would like to say that the fact that you came to save me was...useful and a very good thing." Mr. D says, and Percy rolls his eyes.  Annabeth smiles and shakes her head, and offers Percy a hand to get up. 

"You're welcome." I say to him, and he looks taken aback.  As soon as the others are up, we walk into the open eating area, where students all have the same looks on their faces as they see us. 

"You're back!" People yell.  "We missed you!"  "What happened?" My favorite was; "Did you kiss Percy?" I assumed it was directed toward me.

Chiron steps into view.  He's clapping his hands, along with everyone else.  I turn to Percy and Annabeth, and Percy gives me a warm smile.  But Annabeth has turned around.  When I turn to look at her, her gray eyes are locked onto something in the distance.  I follow her line of site, and then I see it. 

I nudge Percy.  But everything is so slow, like a dream, or in this case, nightmare.  It's like a layer of thick fog has clouded my mind.  Soon enough, campers are screaming and fleeing the scene.  It's only me, Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, and a campers who watch from their cabins.

We're all looking at Mr. D.  He is hovering ten inches above the ground, and a purplish-greenish aura surrounds him.  His face is expressionless.

I take a tentative step toward him.  Nothing happens.  But I feel something cold on my chest, and I look down at it.  It's gold, it looks like a drachma, and it has markings on it.  Upon further inspection, I see it reads The Wisdom of Athena.  My wand materializes in my right hand.

My breathing is now rapid.  I whip around to face Annabeth, a frantic and wild look in my eyes, she grabs my arm.

"The cave painting," She whispers, her eyes wide.

I remember the cave painting.  Annabeth took me there to tell me who I was and why everyone was talking about me.  In the painting, I was holding my wand in my right hand, and was wearing the necklace.  There were gods on one side of the sky, and witches and wizards on the other.

"Ariana, no.  Don't.  Leave him be." Chiron warns me.

I turn around slowly to face Mr. D.  I walk toward him, despite Chiron's protests.  He's within one foot of me.  He is still motionless.  I hold out my hand, and touch his arm.

Everything happens in an instant.  Mr. D's head snaps down, and he stares at me.  His eyes hold no emotion, but his mouth is wide open.  He's still floating, and still has the aura.

"The time has come," He says, in a voice that is not his own.  It has two parts, a deep pitch and higher pitch.  I gasp, and everyone takes a step back.

"Child of witchcraft, child of gods.  Your time is now.  You will choose.  This is your final choice.  There will be no choice but one." He speaks again.

All of the sudden, the sky goes dark.  Lightning strikes, and all of the major gods appear in the sky above me, on the left.  They are watching me, there expressions grim.

"Mom?" I squeak out.  Athena is up there, but she doesn't acknowledge me. 

In another lightning strike, important witches and wizards appear.  Many of them are from the Ministry of Magic, but Dad is there, too.  He is looking at me, but his eyes look miles away.  Annabeth and Percy walk up behind me, each on one side of me.  Chiron is off to the side, wielding a giant sword, but not using it.