(no subject)
"Luke!"
He was sitting on the porch of the Big House, staring up at Thalia's pine. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately - Kronos' desire to check up his progress made sure of that - and to his tired mind it almost seemed that the branches shifting in the cold December breeze were waving to him. He could still remember the night the he and Annabeth and Grover stumbled into the camp, bleeding and exhausted, and looked back to see Thalia shouting something to the heavens.
"Luke?"
They hadn't know what she was doing, and by the time they could tell, it had been too late. The lightening had already begun to fall, and by the time their eyes had adjusted to the blinding light she'd been transformed. Now she just stood there, stuck on the hill instead of fighting to earn the fame she deserved. Just one more thing Zeus and his family were going to pay for when Kronos rose again. Assuming, of course, that he could ever get out of this prison and find what his master needed -
"LUKE!"
He started; Chiron was coming up on his left and frowning. "What's wrong? Normally you'd have sensed me long before - " Then he looked over to where Luke's eyes had been a moment before, and his face softened. "Ah. I see." He put a hand on Luke's shoulder, and it was all Luke could do not to shrug it off and meet his teacher's eyes calmly. "I wanted to talk to you about an important opportunity."
Luke instantly perked up. The order from Kronos had been tormenting him day and night for a month now, and this might be his chance to prove his worth. "Yeah? What is it? Is someone finally getting sent on a quest?" Let Chiron interpret his eagerness for that however he might.
Chiron shook his head sadly. "No, not yet. But the gods have extended a most generous offer. The entire camp is invited to spend the winter solstice on Olympus itself! All the gods will be there, along with scores of dryads and nymphs. The feasts will last long into the night. We might even learn a thing or two in between all the parties. Naturally, you'd be in charge of organizing things along with the other senior counselors. We're to leave in a week, so make sure your cabin packs everything they need, and make sure that nothing goes missing from Olympus after we're gone." The words were stern, but there was a twinkle of good humor in the old centaur's eyes.
Olympus. The Master Bolt will be there, and so will Hades with his Helm. Right where I need them, and both too confident to think some minor demigod could steal them.
"Well," Luke drawled, "I can't promise you anything, especially since we'll be bringing Travis and Connor. I'll do my best to put the fear of the gods into them, though." He shared a brief but happy chuckle with Chrion, and as he strode towards Hermes cabin his smile was bright and joyful.
He was sitting on the porch of the Big House, staring up at Thalia's pine. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately - Kronos' desire to check up his progress made sure of that - and to his tired mind it almost seemed that the branches shifting in the cold December breeze were waving to him. He could still remember the night the he and Annabeth and Grover stumbled into the camp, bleeding and exhausted, and looked back to see Thalia shouting something to the heavens.
"Luke?"
They hadn't know what she was doing, and by the time they could tell, it had been too late. The lightening had already begun to fall, and by the time their eyes had adjusted to the blinding light she'd been transformed. Now she just stood there, stuck on the hill instead of fighting to earn the fame she deserved. Just one more thing Zeus and his family were going to pay for when Kronos rose again. Assuming, of course, that he could ever get out of this prison and find what his master needed -
"LUKE!"
He started; Chiron was coming up on his left and frowning. "What's wrong? Normally you'd have sensed me long before - " Then he looked over to where Luke's eyes had been a moment before, and his face softened. "Ah. I see." He put a hand on Luke's shoulder, and it was all Luke could do not to shrug it off and meet his teacher's eyes calmly. "I wanted to talk to you about an important opportunity."
Luke instantly perked up. The order from Kronos had been tormenting him day and night for a month now, and this might be his chance to prove his worth. "Yeah? What is it? Is someone finally getting sent on a quest?" Let Chiron interpret his eagerness for that however he might.
Chiron shook his head sadly. "No, not yet. But the gods have extended a most generous offer. The entire camp is invited to spend the winter solstice on Olympus itself! All the gods will be there, along with scores of dryads and nymphs. The feasts will last long into the night. We might even learn a thing or two in between all the parties. Naturally, you'd be in charge of organizing things along with the other senior counselors. We're to leave in a week, so make sure your cabin packs everything they need, and make sure that nothing goes missing from Olympus after we're gone." The words were stern, but there was a twinkle of good humor in the old centaur's eyes.
Olympus. The Master Bolt will be there, and so will Hades with his Helm. Right where I need them, and both too confident to think some minor demigod could steal them.
"Well," Luke drawled, "I can't promise you anything, especially since we'll be bringing Travis and Connor. I'll do my best to put the fear of the gods into them, though." He shared a brief but happy chuckle with Chrion, and as he strode towards Hermes cabin his smile was bright and joyful.