Always Protect

Chapter 25

"Annabeth! Hey!" Percy called, running across the grass towards the daughter of Athena. "I need to ask you about something."

She looked up from her book (about architecture, of course).

"Yes?"

"How do I get to the attic in the big house?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"And why would you want to go there?"

"Mr. D said I had to talk to an oracle?"

Annabeth shot to her feet and gripped his shoulders tightly. Not quite tight enough to bruise but it was a close thing.

"You're getting a quest?" She demanded, her gaze so intense it was almost a glare.

"Umm, yeah? Is that a big deal?"

"Is that a-?! Of course it's a big deal you idiot! No one's been aloud on a quest in years!"

Percy frowned and backed away slightly as the blonde's arms waved through the air.

"Well sorry that I haven't been here long enough to fully appreciate the chance to get myself killed."

The daughter of Athena sighed and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back towards the big house.

"That's the point. The last time someone went on a quest, they almost didn't come back. Since then, no one has been allowed on any quests. I've been begging Chiron to let me go on a quest almost since I was seven but I should've known that when a Potter goes anywhere, things are bound to change."

Percy frowned at the grass, so he didn't know why they'd stopped until he looked up and saw his friend looking back at him.

"What's wrong Perce?"

He tried for a smile but didn't quite reach his goal.

"Nothing."

At her incredulous look, he sighed.

"Well I'm not a real Potter now am I? I was just adopted by James Potter. All my life I thought I was his son, thought I looked like him. Turns out I look like this because this is what sons of Poseidon look like."

"Look Percy, I know that this is something that will take a while to fully take in and accept, but the way family works, true family, blood doesn't matter. From what I've heard, James Potter loved both his children. Not just your little brother."

Percy nodded, thinking hard about what she was saying.

"Well, I've said my piece, now let's get you to the Oracle."

After walking in silence for a few moments, Percy spoke up.

"So, what's the big deal about this oracle?"

"Every quest gets a prophecy that acts almost like a guide or a warning. Then, the person leading the quest pick to others to join them on the journey. Now I'm assuming this is about Zeus' master bolt so we- you have until the summer solstice to complete this quest."

"Cool. When is that?"

She rolled her eyes and went into the big house.

Percy followed her up the stairs and almost ran into her when she stopped suddenly and pointed up. Following her finger he found that they were standing directly below a green trapdoor.

"Are you not coming with me?" He asked as she reached a bit farther up to open the door and pull the stairs down.

"No, you have to get the prophecy alone. I'll be in the game room when you're done." And with that she turned and left him alone in the hallway.

Looking back up at the hole in the ceiling, Percy couldn't see anything except darkness. Taking a deep breath, he went up into the dark. Once in the attic, he saw that there was some light coming in through a grimy window, in front of which was a mummy propped up on a stool.

He had to walk past tables full of random objects, claws in jars, gold apples, dented shield to stand in front of the withered woman. Her eyes were gone, leaving empty sockets, her skin looked like tanned late her stretched over bones, and she was dressed like a hippie in her tie-dye dress and beads.

"Ummm" he looked around the cramped room before turning back to the mummy. "I need a prophecy?"

Nothing happened for a moment but then the hippie mummy sat up, its jaw opening to unleash a cloud of green mist that coiled over the floor. A voice whispered in his brain.

"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."

Percy looked down at the thick green mist that curled around his legs and back up at the mummy, swallowing down the fear that was trying to crawl up his throat.

"What is my destiny?" He croaked out.

The mist thickened even more, gathering in front of him until it formed a familiar image. The Dursley's, including Uncle Vernon's sister Marge Dursley, sitting around the kitchen table. It wasn't real, Percy knew this, but he still had to force himself to stay where he was rather than back away as he really wanted to.

Uncle Vernon turned his head towards the boy and spoke in the Oracle's rasping voice.

"You shall go west, and face the god who has turned."

Aunt Petunia served Dudley and continued in the same voice.

"You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned."

Dudley looked away from the telly and spoke.

"You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend."

Percy felt like he'd just been punched in the gut but turned his attention to Marge for the next line.

"And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end."

His chest felt tight as the mist dissipated and he headed down out of the attic. He had spent years without friends and now one was going to betray him? He entered the living room of the big house to find Annabeth sitting on the couch her leg bouncing as she waited for him.

"Percy, what was the prophecy?"

He repeated it and she frowned, he could practically hear the gears turning in her head.

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"Yeah, we can work with that."

"We?"

"Yes, we. I have been waiting to go on a quest since I was seven years old Potter. You are nuts if you think I'm not going with you."

Percy held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright." He said with a lopsided smile.

With that the pair went back to their usual, playful banter but Percy couldn't get the prophecy out of his head. Who would betray him? What would he fail to save?

With a small inward sigh, Percy shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind to think on later. For now, he needed to pick the third person to come on this quest and ask Chiron about any other supplies. Something told him Mr. D would be of no help.