The Adventure That Lies Ahead | PJO x HP

CHAPTER 6

It didn't take them long to pack. Percy decided to leave the Minotaur horn in their cabin, which left him only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Grover had found for him.

The camp store loaned them one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas.

"Woah! This is as big as a girls scout cookie!" Percy said, holding up a big coin which made Isa burst out laughing due to his reaction.

"That's drachmas. Our currency" Isa informed him

The 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 nonmortal transactions. He gave Annabeth, Percy, and Isa each a flask of nectar and an airtight bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if they were seriously hurt. It was god food, 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 them 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. Percy was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector, but Isa assured him it wouldn't.

Isa didn't bring much with her. She just brought an extra change of clothes, and some cut up thread to make some bracelets or anklets when she's bored. Lastly, her dolphin ring which she carries around everywhere and never takes it off. Percy started to wonder if she takes a bath with it.

Grover wore his fake feet and his trousers to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you 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 goodbye 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 the surfer dude Percy'd seen when he was recovering in the sick room. According to Isa, 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 you could only see extra peepers on his hands, face, and neck.

"Hey, Argus!" Isa greeted with a smile. Argus just tipped his head in acknowledgment.

"This is Argus," Chiron told Percy. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."

Percy and Isa 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 while Isa just smiled at him.

"Just wanted to say good luck, and I thought... um, maybe you could use these," Luke said handing the shoes to Percy who took it. "Maia!"

White bird wings sprouted out of the heels, which startled Percy causing him to drop them. The demigods snickered at him. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded and disappeared.