Chapter 4

Percy's POV

I was alive. I did not know how but I was. The last thing that I remember was that I had managed to save Annabeth, and that that was all that mattered. I tried to get up. I could not. There was something that was holding me down. I tried to move my head around. I looked and saw a man wearing armour. It was similar to Greek armour but there were subtle differences.

When he saw that I had awakened he said, "My name is Eshmun. Do not worry child you are safe. I have healed you. You have a great destiny. My family and I family will watch over you." He said. He then followed with. "I believe that we will meet again. I shall send you to your father Neptune. You must not tell him or any of the other gods of this meeting."

He waved his hand over my face and I fell asleep.

When I awoke I saw my father's worried face. "How did I get here?"

He shrugged "you must have fallen into the sea somehow. You were floating above Atlantis so I had you brought down here." He said. "Everyone is worried about you. You had been gone for a week."

I thought about revealing what had happened. "I do not remember. The last thing I remember is falling to my highly likely death, after managing to save Annabeth."

He nodded sympathetically. "She has been distraught for the last week. She has barely left her room."

"Right, I shall go to visit her now then." I said. I gave my father a parting hug and shadow travelled to, just outside her room.

I opened the door and went in to find that she was not there. I shrugged and went downstairs.

I looked everywhere in the palace. I could not even find Athena in her own palace. As I went into the kitchen I saw a woman with blond hair.

"Annabeth?" I said.

The woman turned around to reveal that she had a lions face.

"No, my name is Tanit. I am afraid that your friend and her mother are not available. You will understand soon. I believe that the moon goddess has also been captures. The sun god will be here soon to ask Minerva to help. Inform him that there will need to be a quest to Mt Othrys. There you will find the three women."

"Why should I trust you?" I asked.

She laughed which looked strange coming from the mouth of a lion. She then blasted me with light, it did not hurt and felt strangely familiar.

To answer my unasked question she said, "I believe that Minerva and Juno, have already done this to you."

My eyes widened as I realised that she was a goddess. "What are you goddess of?" I asked.

She smiled, "War, Fortune and harvest. You will need fortune in your path ahead. To be blessed by two war goddesses and to be a demigod of another will make you an even more formidable fighter. Use your power but be wary of the consequences of your actions."

With that she flashed out.

Right on cue Apollo burst in. "Oh, hi Percy. You are back. I knew you were not dead." He gave me a pat on the back. "Do you know where Athena is, my sister is…"

"I know," I cut in, "Athena and Annabeth are gone as well. I have been told that I need to lead a quest to Mt Othrys."

Apollo's eyes widened in shock. "We need a council meeting now."

With that we both flashed out to Zeus' temple. We burst in not even bothering to knock. Zeus turned to look at us slightly miffed. He saw our faces and asked, "What is it?"

"We need a council meeting now. There is a problem." Zeus trusted us both enough to realise that there could well be trouble. He blew a horn and within seconds the entire council were there.

"Where are Athena and Artemis?" Ares asked.

"That is why you are called here." I started, "Athena, Artemis and Annabeth have been captured." I said.

"Apparently it has something to do with Mt Othrys." Apollo added. The entire council went silent.

"Err, have I missed something?" I asked.

When Hestia had gathered her composure she said, "It is the titan equivalent of Mt Olympus. It is where the thrones of the titans are situated. If it has returned it means that the titans are not far off either."

"Yes, I have been hearing rumours of Oceanus returning, I had put most of them down to paranoid sea creatures, but now I am not so sure." Poseidon said.

Hephaestus nodded. "I have had to fight for some of my forges recently. There have been Telkines trying to get in to some of them. They are usually a god sign of the titans returning."

"So we are agreed that there is a possibility of fighting to come." Zeus said. He then turned to me. "Do you think that it could be what the great prophecy is talking about?" now I was the centre of attention.

Hera nodded, "it is most likely that, the prophecy is referring to it."

All of the gods looked uncharacteristically glum.

"So we will ask Chiron to send out a quest from camp half-blood to free the women. This shall be led by Perseus." Zeus announced. There was a host of murmurs of consent and agreement. "We shall vote now on it. All in favour." Every god put their hand up. "It is decided. Perseus shall consult the Oracle after this. Now Perseus, where did you get this information from?"

I considered not telling the truth but then realised that if I could not trust these people then who could I trust. "The first one I met was the person that saved me. He was called Eshmun." This raised a lot of talking between the gods. I could not however make any words out. "I then spoke to a lady with a lion's head called Tanit." This time I could make out one word. It confused me hugely. Carthage.