Two Boys, Two Missions
They both arrived at the Big House, where Grover seemed to be waiting for them at the door, visibly nervous, before ushering them straight inside.
Mr. D was already there, staring at Percy with an irritated expression while lazily shaking a can of Diet Coke in his hand as if it were a glass of wine.
Percy very badly wanted to ask whether shaking it like that would not make it explode, but Harry shot him a look that clearly told him to stay quiet.
"I do not know how you managed it. If it were up to me, I would make your body implode into molecules and let you drift away in the wind. Or perhaps turning you into a dolphin so you can accompany your father would be more convenient for everyone," he said with open disdain.
The moment he finished speaking, the lights in the Big House flickered. The floor seemed to tremble slightly, and the shadows along the walls shifted as if they were alive.
Percy and Harry widened their eyes. Grover began trembling in panic, and Chiron's expression turned serious as he looked toward Mr. D, who appeared mostly calm, still shaking the can in irritation.
"Yes, yes, yes, I heard you. You are truly insufferable," he muttered.
But his words only made whatever was happening intensify.
"Mr. D, it would be wiser not to provoke them," Chiron said cautiously.
"Hm. Women are so troublesome," Mr. D grumbled before turning his gaze back to Percy, then to Harry.
He then pulled out what looked like a letter sealed inside a completely black envelope.
"It seems you are rather special as well, brat," he said, staring at Harry with nearly the same annoyance he had shown Percy.
Perhaps he simply looked at all the camp's young residents that way.
Harry did not usually let his thoughts wander the way Percy did, but this time he could not help thinking that if Snape and Mr. D ever met, they would probably become very good friends. Enjoying making children cry and then laughing about it afterward.
"Chiron, handle these two. I expect that by the time I return from the urgent meeting on Olympus, they will not even be here. Unless they would prefer to end up as tuna bars. Frankly, if they die along the way, it would only make my work easier, though that would mean many others suffer because of those lunatics," Dionysus said before tossing the black envelope toward Chiron and pinning what looked like a small card against it with a light tap.
Then his body began to blur, fading rapidly until he vanished entirely.
Chiron, who had watched Dionysus disappear, let out a more relaxed breath. Around him, everything gradually settled as well, though the centaur looked somewhat weary.
"Harry, why did you not tell me earlier that you had been given a mission? We could have helped you prepare better," Chiron said while examining the black envelope in his hand.
"Ah… well… how?" Harry asked, stopping himself mid-thought as Chiron simply turned the envelope over between his fingers.
On the other side, a golden torch glowed faintly. Nothing more.
"It is your leave permit," Chiron explained.
"Oh. I am sorry. I did not know. I was told it had to be done entirely in secret," Harry replied, slightly embarrassed, realizing that it had been far easier than he had imagined. He had been exhausting himself trying to figure out how to leave the camp unnoticed. But the camp had never been exactly normal, so he should have expected something like this.
"It is all right. If it is a secret, you do not need to tell me. It seems you were already prepared, which is good… still, it has been a very long time since there were two missions at the same time," Chiron said thoughtfully.
"Excuse me… two missions?" Percy asked, confused. He knew about the mission Harry had received in his dream.
"Yes, two, Percy. Because you have one as well," Chiron replied, his tone turning serious.
"Me?"
"Yes, Percy. Though everything may appear calm, Zeus and Poseidon have been at odds for months. Something belonging to Zeus was stolen. To be precise, the Master Bolt. The symbol of his power, forged by the Cyclopes during the war against the Titans. And your mission, as the son of Poseidon, is to recover it," Chiron explained.
"What? Why me? And who did it? Who would be stupid enough to steal a god's lightning bolt?" Percy demanded, while Harry frowned beside him.
"Well… it would seem that you did, Percy," Chiron said.
Percy's mouth fell open in shock and confusion. Harry looked at him for a moment, then narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"I did not," Percy said immediately, first looking at Chiron and then at Harry. "I didn't."
"Easy, child," Chiron replied, calming him gently. "It is obvious you did not. After all, you were nowhere near Olympus at the time. And I can testify to that."
"The problem is that this does nothing to clear your suspicion. You are part of the magical community. They are known for moving between continents with ease. Their magic differs from the Mist, but it is still difficult to trace. That is why the camp, and certain members of Olympus, always keep an eye on them."
Harry could not help frowning at that. He did not interrupt, but he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"And that gives Zeus the perfect excuse to claim you could have stolen it. Especially since, during the last council of the gods, he and Poseidon had a rather heated argument. Zeus believes Poseidon used wizards as intermediaries to smuggle a demigod into Olympus and steal the Master Bolt right under his nose. Furthermore, he suspects Poseidon is forming an alliance with gods connected to magic in order to attempt to dethrone him once again," Chiron said gravely.
Percy blinked.
"Dethrone him?"
"He has attempted it before, though he was not the leader of that particular alliance," Chiron added.
"You mean when Athena, Poseidon, and Hera bound him because he was not a good ruler? Hermione told me about it while she was researching the gods," Harry said.
"Yes. Since then, Zeus has not trusted Poseidon very much. And now the world may face great danger if, before the summer solstice, a war breaks out between the two brothers."
"And now he is?" Percy asked quietly.
Chiron paused before continuing, deliberately ignoring the question.
"A war between two of the Three is something the world simply cannot endure."
"Also…" Grover, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Percy, you are Poseidon's son. And you appeared at exactly that moment. And he claimed you. I am sure that maybe… the Lord of the Sky wants to use that to, well…"
Grover did not finish the sentence. Chiron did not complete it either. It did not need to be said.
"Great. So the fate of the world depends on me," Percy said, looking at Chiron. For a second, he almost laughed. It sounded ridiculous. It did not feel that way.
"You could put it that way," Chiron replied gently.
"Percy," Harry said, his tone dry.
"What?" Percy answered, now feeling an overwhelming mix of emotions.
"I believe Hogwarts might actually be the safest place in the world. Even with trolls, forest monsters, and a possible professor with a living, malignant tumor attached to his head," Harry said.
"Yes… I have come to that conclusion as well," Percy replied in the same dry tone. "So where exactly am I supposed to go to look for this thing?" he added, just in case.
"I have a general idea. It involves an old prophecy. But it would be best for you to consult the Oracle so that it may reveal the details of your quest," Chiron said. "You must do the same, Harry. Even if you cannot tell me the nature of your mission, the Oracle may still guide you."
Harry gave a small nod. He had expected that.
"There is something else," Chiron added, looking at both of them. "After receiving your prophecies, you will have to choose your companions for the quest."
Percy and Harry exchanged a glance at that.
"Can we not go together?" Percy asked.
"If the destinations align, perhaps. But it is unlikely. You must be prepared for the possibility that you will have to separate," Chiron replied. He did not say it lightly.
Percy's expression grew genuinely serious.
Harry's followed a second later, just as steady.