Percy Jackson: The Son of Kronos

Chapter 5: The Quest Begins 

The camp store loaned him one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told them, but Olympians never used less than pure gold. Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions. He gave Annabeth and Percy each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if they were seriously hurt.

 It was the food of the gods, Chiron reminded them. It would cure them of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally. 

Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told Percy had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and Percy could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday," both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.

 They waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Chiron was waiting for them in his wheelchair. Next to him stood a surfer dude Percy had never seen.

According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so Percy could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck. "This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things." Percy heard footsteps behind them. Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes. "Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you." Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.This made Percy realise that she may have a crush on Luke. Something which he could possibly use to his advantage 

"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told him. "And I thought … um, maybe you could use these." He handed Percy a pair of sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal. Luke said, "Maia!" White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling Percy so much, he dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared. "Awesome!" Grover said. Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days…." His expression turned sad.

They shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out. 

She started making her way down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys. Percy picked up the flying shoes and had a sudden bad feeling. He looked at Chiron. "I won't be able to use these, will I?" He shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air … that would not be wise for you."

Percy nodded, disappointed, but then he got an idea. "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?" Percy said realising that he could make Grover trust him more by giving him more powers.

 His eyes lit up. "Me?" Pretty soon they'd laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch. "Maia!" he shouted. He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos. "Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!" "Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van. 

Before Percy could follow, Chiron caught his arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason-they all got more training." "That's okay." Percy said even though he wished that he had a few more weapons to help on the quest, something as good as Luke's flying shoes, or Annabeth's invisible cap. "What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this." He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to Percy. Percy realised that it was the same pen with which he had killed Mrs. Dodds. The pen which had turned into a sword 

But in order to look slightly dumb , "Gee," he said. "Thanks."

 "Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one." Percy took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in his hand. In half a second, he held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. 

It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in his hand. "The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told me. "Its name is Anaklusmos." "'Riptide,'" Percy translated. 

"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case." Percy was surprised, he looked at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals? How could it not?" "The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable." "Good to know." "Now recap the pen." 

Percy touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. He tucked it in his pocket. "You can't lose it even if you tried" Chiron said. "It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it." Percy was sceptical, but he threw the pen as far as he could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass. "It may take a few moments," Chiron told me. "Now check your pocket." Sure enough, the pen was there. "Okay, that's useful," Percy admitted.

 "But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?" Chiron smiled. "Mist is a powerful thing, Percy." "Mist?"

 "Yes. Read The Iliad. It's full of references to the stuff. Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are, being a halfblood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."

The sun seemed to grow heavier as they left the safety of the camp behind, but Percy felt a thrill of anticipation.

The quest had officially begun and Percy intended to make it one for the ages.

Traffic slowed them down in Queens. By the time they got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain. Argus dropped them at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from Percy's mom and Gabe's apartment. Argus unloaded their bags, made sure they got their bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch them as he pulled out of the parking lot. 

The rain kept coming down. They got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable. She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever. Percy thought he wasn't too bad himself. The game ended when he tossed the apple towards Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, their Hacky Sack disappeared-core, stem, and all.Grover blushed. He tried to apologise, but Annabeth and Percy were too busy cracking up. 

The bus soon arrived. As they stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favourite school cafeteria delicacy-enchiladas. 

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," Grover said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing." But Percy realised that it was nothing and started to observe their surroundings more carefully. He decided constant vigilance was a good thing to abide by. 

The bus was a run-down Greyhound, its faded blue exterior splattered with dirt and grime. The three demigods boarded quickly, taking seats near the back. Percy kept an eye on the other passengers—a mix of tired commuters, chatty tourists, and a few people who seemed to be travelling alone, much like themselves. Annabeth sat next to him, while Grover took the seat across the aisle. The satyr looked nervous, his goat legs hidden under baggy jeans, his hand never straying far from his reed pipes. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.

As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto Percy's knee. "Percy." An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and Percy's heart skipped a beat. It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face. Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds-same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses

Annabeth followed his gaze, her eyes widening in recognition. "The Furies," she whispered. "They're after you."

Grover let out a quiet whimper. "We're so dead."

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. 

"Di immortales!" "It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. 

"The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows." 

"They don't open," Grover moaned. 

"A back exit?" she suggested. 

There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, they were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.

As they hit the Lincoln Tunnel, the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain. Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the restroom." 

"So do I," said the second sister. 

"So do I," said the third sister. They all started coming down the aisle.

As Percy turned to look at them, he noted that they were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same but their bodies had shrivelled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips. 

The Furies surrounded Percy, Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"

"Grover, get these people out of here!" Percy shouted, as he took the ballpoint pen out of his pocket and uncapped it. Riptide elongated into a shimmering double-edged sword.

 Grover hit the emergency brake. The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him. Grover grabbed his reed pipes and started to play a quick tune.

Annabeth drew her dagger, standing beside Percy. "We have to take them down before they bring the whole bus down."

"Don't worry," Percy said, his voice cold. "I've got this."

"Perseus Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said, in an accent that was definitely from somewhere farther south than Georgia. "You have offended the gods. You shall die." 

Mrs. Dodds screeched, her voice like nails on a chalkboard, and lunged at Percy with razor-sharp claws. Her wings unfurled, sending a gust of foul-smelling wind through the bus.

Percy sidestepped with ease, Riptide flashing as he brought it up in a tight arc. The blade met her talons with a shower of sparks, and she recoiled, hissing in fury.

The other two Furies flanked him, their leathery wings beating the air as they advanced. Annabeth sprang into action, her dagger slicing through the air as she intercepted one of them. The Fury snarled and deflected the blow with her claws, but Annabeth was quick, ducking under a swipe and driving her blade toward the creature's torso. It screeched and stumbled back.

Grover was busy herding the remaining passengers out of the bus, his reed pipes still in hand. "Hurry up, people!" he shouted, his voice trembling.

The third Fury locked her sights on him, her eyes gleaming with malice. With a powerful leap, she soared toward the satyr. Grover yelped and barely managed to duck, stumbling as her claws swiped over his head.

"Grover, watch out!" Annabeth called, throwing her dagger with precision. The blade embedded itself in the Fury's shoulder, causing her to let out an ear-splitting shriek as she burst into golden dust.

Percy's focus remained on the lead Fury, Mrs Dodds. She snarled, her voice a low growl. "You think you can defy the gods, boy? You are nothing but a pawn."

Percy's lips curled into a cold smile. "Maybe. But even pawns can take down kings."

With a swift motion, he slashed at her again. This time, Riptide sliced through her wing, and the Fury howled in pain, staggering back. Percy didn't let up. He pressed forward, driving her toward the front of the bus.

Grover got Mrs. Dodds's legs tied up in her own whip. Finally Grover and Annabeth shoved her backward into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling down.

 "Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!" 

"Irrumabo off!" Percy yelled. 

The driver had long since abandoned his seat, fleeing with the other passengers. The bus careened wildly as it sped down the highway, swerving dangerously from side to side.

"Annabeth, look back!" Percy shouted, as another Fury attacked her from the back.

Annabeth managed to retrieve her dagger, slashing at the Fury attacking her. "Percy, if you've got a plan, now would be a good time!"

Percy's mind raced. They couldn't keep this fight going on the bus—it was a disaster waiting to happen. He glanced toward the front and saw the perfect opportunity: there was a low bridge outside and leading right to it was a window which broke during the fight.

"Get ready to jump!" he called out.

"What?!" Grover's eyes widened in panic.

"Trust me!" Percy shouted.

The Fury attacking Annabeth lunged at him, but Percy was ready. He ducked low and thrust Riptide upward, the blade piercing her chest. She let out a final, piercing wail before bursting into golden dust.

Mrs. Dodds hissed in rage, her eyes blazing with hatred. But before they could retaliate, Percy grabbed Annabeth and Grover and hurled them toward the broken window.

"Jump!" he yelled as Mrs. Dodds loomed closer.

The three of them leapt from the bus just as it hurtled under the bridge. 

Percy's hair rose up as he jumped off the bus.

BOOOOOM! The rest of the windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told them that Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover hit the ground hard, rolling down a grassy embankment. Grover bleated in alarm as they tumbled, but Percy focused on keeping Annabeth close, ensuring they didn't lose each other in the chaos. The sounds of the bus wreckage exploding behind them echoed in his ears, but he didn't look back. 

—

End of Chapter 5

Author's Note: I realised that I overlooked some stupid errors when writing this chapter. Thankfully a reader wrote a comment , pointing out the errors .I fixed them now .