Chapter 48– A Conversation Before the Start of the Quest
The familiar pine-scented breeze of Camp Half-Blood greeted Dante and Annabeth as they stepped through the portal onto the grassy hill overlooking the cabins. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the fields, and the distant sounds of campers training—clashing swords and shouts of encouragement—filled the air, making the place feel alive and unchanged despite their short absence.
After arriving at the camp, Dante looked around, taking in the familiar sights—the Big House in the distance, the climbing wall rumbling faintly glinting on the pine tree—and said: "Well, it really feels like we've been away for a long time, right?"
Annabeth smiled at him, her gray eyes reflecting the warm light, and said: "Yes, it doesn't even feel like it was just two days away from this place. Everything looks the same, but... I feel different."
Dante then gave her a gentle kiss, lingering for a moment in the quiet spot near Thalia's tree, which she returned with equal tenderness, her hand resting on his chest.
They then separated slowly, reluctant but knowing time was short.
Dante caressed her dark brown hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear, and said softly: "Well, then you should go put your bags in your cabin and let your sisters know you're back so they don't worry too much. They're probably pacing the floor by now."
Annabeth thought suddenly: Oh crap, my sisters. I completely forgot about that. They're going to kill me for vanishing without a word.
Annabeth even shivered visibly thinking about the scolding she was going to get for disappearing for so long—Malcolm and the others would have a million questions, and the teasing would be endless.
She then looked at Dante, stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick but affectionate kiss, and said: "Well, let's meet tonight at the dining pavilion with everyone. Now I have to calm my sisters down before they send a search party."
She then grabbed her bags—still full of Italian souvenirs—and hurried off down the path toward the Athena cabin, her steps quick and determined.
Dante watched her go with a fond smile, then turned his gaze to the sky, where the sun was dipping lower, painting the clouds in shades of orange and purple. He saw that it was almost getting dark, the first stars beginning to peek out.
Dante thought seriously: Well, better go see how Percy is and if he didn't kill himself—or get killed—while I was away. Besides preparing myself mentally. If the schedule is right, Hades should make his entrance today—the dramatic reveal about Sally.
Dante sighed deeply, the weight of upcoming events settling on his shoulders, and said to himself: "Well, let's see what happens on this journey. I just hope everything goes well—no unnecessary complications."
He then started walking toward his cabin, the gravel path crunching under his feet, passing groups of campers who nodded or waved in recognition.
Arriving at Cabin 3—the sea-green Poseidon cabin with its trident symbol gleaming—the door was open to let in the evening breeze. He saw Percy and Grover sitting on the porch steps, looking out at the calm Long Island Sound, the waves lapping gently against the shore in the distance.
He then approached and overheard Percy saying: "You know, Grover, even training and getting beaten up several times by Luke in this time since I arrived here, even so it's the first time I feel like I belong somewhere and not be that weird kid from school anymore."
Grover smiled and said: "Well, it's good to hear that, friend."
He then approached quietly at first, then sat down next to Percy and Grover, who jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance.
Percy, seeing it was Dante, let out a sigh of relief and said: "It's you, man. Don't show up like that out of nowhere—you almost gave me a heart attack."
Grover said, recovering from the startle: "Yes, Percy's right. If you scare me like that, I might throw one of my famous moves at you—panic reflex."
Dante smiled at him casually and said: "Well, then you'll lose the body part you used for the move, because my body has such high defense that the result of your attack would be the same as a normal person punching solid concrete with all their strength. It'd hurt you more than me."
Grover smiled awkwardly hearing that, rubbing his neck, and said: "Then it's better to avoid it, right? No need for demonstrations."
Dante smiled and said: "Yes, better to avoid. Saves everyone the trouble."
Dante then looked at Percy thoughtfully and said: "You know, Percy, what you're feeling is normal. You were a person full of problems that normal people couldn't understand—ADHD, dyslexia, monsters chasing you without explanation. So when you arrive at this camp and discover that your problems were just because you were in the wrong place all along, you'll be happy to belong here, to finally fit in. Just remember one thing: this supernatural world isn't a fairy tale world with happy endings guaranteed. It's a cruel place where the only thing that matters is the law of nature, where the strong survive and the weak die or kneel and offer everything valuable they have to see if it improves the strong one's mood and lets them live another day. So if you really want to be part of this world, you have to get stronger and stronger to have the right to speak up and say 'no' when you need to. After all, when you're weak, you don't even have the right to ask for help. The irony is that this right is begged not because the strong don't want to help—there will always be good strong people willing to—but the problem is that the person asking for help already died in the shockwave of the strong one's battle without even managing to ask for help in time."
Percy fell silent hearing that, staring out at the darkening sea as the words sank in, the waves now reflecting the first hints of twilight.
Dante placed his hand reassuringly on his shoulder and said: "I'm not saying this to make you change your mind about staying here. On the contrary, I think you should stay—absolutely. After all, here you'll learn many useful things to survive and thrive. I'm telling you this so you prepare yourself mentally for this crazy world. It's not all glory and heroes—it's raw and unforgiving."
Grover, hearing Dante say that to Percy with such seriousness, stayed silent and said nothing. After all, it's the truth—harsh but necessary. If Percy really wants to be part of this world, he has to know this reality upfront.
Percy looked at Dante after a long pause, determination hardening in his sea-green eyes, and said: "Well, I still want to be part of this world. Maybe in the future I'll regret it, maybe, but if I don't take this step now, I'll regret it for sure—not trying, not fighting for a place where I belong."
Dante smiled approvingly and said: "Good thing. Because I have news for you: my instinct tells me the gods are going to start moving the chessboard tonight—big moves coming."
Percy said, frowning slightly: "Well, okay, but what does that mean exactly?"
Dante looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said: "Man, you need to increase your intelligence so you don't embarrass yourself in front of the gods. It means they're going to start acting tonight—setting things in motion."
Percy said: "Okay, but how do you know? Some vision or something?"
Dante said simply: "Instinct."
Percy said incredulously: "Instinct? How is that possible? Just a gut feeling?"
Dante just sighed tiredly, rubbed his temple, looked at Grover, and said: "Give an explanation to this idiot. I'm tired of repeating basics."
Grover looked at Percy and explained patiently, his voice calm under the emerging stars: "Percy, for supernatural beings, the stronger they are, the better their instincts about things that are going to happen. Because their sixth sense is very strong—like an inner warning system honed by power. They can even know if someone has bad thoughts about them just by instinct alone. And the stronger the supernatural being, the sharper and more reliable this instinct. So if a being of Dante's strength felt that the gods are going to act today, it's because they definitely will—no doubt about it."
Percy processed that, nodding slowly as the pieces clicked.
Percy said: "So what are we going to do about it?"
Dante smiled confidently and said: "We'll see what this god has to say—listen to the dramatic speech—and then we'll go straight to the quest and find and deliver the bolt. As long as the bolt is delivered on time, whatever plan this god is plotting won't happen. We cut it off at the root."
Percy said with renewed resolve: "So let's recover the bolt—no matter what."
Dante said practically: "Well, but first let's go to the dining pavilion to eat something. I'm starving after all that traveling."
Then Percy, Grover, and Dante walked toward the dining pavilion together—the path lit by glowing Greek fire torches as night fully fell, the camp's magical borders humming faintly in the background.
Dante looked at the darkening sky, stars now twinkling brightly above, and thought with quiet anticipation: Well, here we go, Hades. Now it's up to you to pull the curtain for the start of the story.