a quest arrives and you know what else comes with it? that's right, kids! a prophecy! 

/ 

A golden trident floated in the air. It’s three prongs were suddenly snatched by a shadowy blob. 

A rain of arrows stopped it in its tracks. 

Fire erupted all around before engulfing the shadow completely. A dying screech rang out. 

A crown of golden light was all that remained. 

Momo woke up startled and confused, and a light sheen of cold sweat coated her face. She replayed the events in her mind, slowly calming down after realizing that it was all a dream. 

Still—she was wary. 

Jihyo had told her about some demigod abilities. Other than faster reflexes, heightened senses and strength, demigods also attracted monsters and sometimes had omens through their dreams. Add the fact that she was a daughter of Poseidon, one of the ‘Big Three’ Gods, and you could multiply all the stuff Jihyo listed by two. 

Two times the good stuff, two times the bad stuff.  

Momo didn’t recognize anything in her dream but somehow it all seemed eerily familiar to her. She shook her head, wiping off the cold sweat on her forehead. 

A shower sounds great right about now. Geez, how can a dream make me sweat so much?  

She decided to start her day off with a nice shower. Then she’d meet up with Nayeon and Jeongyeon for another sword fighting class. Overall, it sounded like a good day. 

/ 

The universe decided to spite Momo and not make it a good day for her. 

Of course. Monday’s are never good days. What was she thinking? 

It was after breakfast when everything went downhill. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Momo arrived at the Dining Pavilion after a nice sparring session—this time involving battleaxes. The others joined their little post-workout meal after finishing their respective morning shifts. 

Tzuyu suggested a volleyball match for fun. Everyone agreed and they made their way south of Dining Pavilion. 

The group had just about reached the Big House when they were stopped in their tracks. A crowd had formed in front of the porch, making a loud commotion. 

The members were all clueless. Jihyo stopped a passing Apollo camper, asking what was the deal. 

“You haven’t heard? Apparently, a golden arrow embedded itself into one of the Big House’s pillars. There’s a scroll attached too!” 

Jihyo nodded her thanks before her sibling ran off. 

Nayeon spoke first, “C’mon, Chiron’s up there. Let’s get closer to see what it’s all about.” 

The girls moved closer until the crowd absorbed them. Chiron had taken the scroll from the golden arrow but left the arrow intact within the pillar. It was now in his hands as his eyes scanned the contents. 

The crowd was buzzing. Campers took guesses on what was on the scroll and where it came from. Meanwhile, Momo had her eyes on the golden arrow. It looked strangely familiar to her but she couldn’t quite place where it was from. 

A small feeling relentlessly tugged at her gut before she realized that the arrow kinda— looked like the one in her dream!  

Momo was cut short of her small revelation when Chiron cleared his throat. The crowd’s volume lowered remarkably at the action. 

Chiron’s face took on a more serious expression as his eyes scanned the crowd of campers. Momo could see the debate waging on his face. Chiron looked like he came to a decision as he opened his mouth to speak. 

“It is from Mount Olympus—from the Gods themselves!” 

The buzzing was back, now with a new energy and even more curious than before. 

“They call for a quest!” 

The noise of the crowd rocketed up a few notches at the centaur’s words. 

Chiron’s eyes found hers in the crowd, his thousand-year-old stare boring into hers. Suddenly, the tugging in her gut grew sharply before settling into a dull beat. 

Chiron unfurled the scroll—in true Greek dramatic fashion, of course—and presented it to the crowd of campers. The scroll showed exactly what the camp director had said, the words on the scroll themselves shimmered gold. Momo could practically smell the immortality that radiated from the piece of paper. 

Wait a minute… 

Momo squinted at the words on the scroll. She could have sworn it said— 

“And it seems the newly claimed Daughter of Poseidon will lead the quest!” 

...what.  

Momo stared blankly at Chiron and then at the scroll. 

“Poseidon,” Chiron’s booming voice echoed through the air for all to hear him officially announcing her claiming. “Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Momo Hirai, Daughter of the Sea God.” 

The crowd of demigods shouted Chiron’s last words all in unison, hailing her parentage and her claiming. 

To her, it felt like a birthday celebration times a hundred. And then add in some stadium speakers. That’s how loud Momo thought it sounded like. 

The crowd was at its peak now. Several pairs of curious eyes landed on her, making her fidget a bit under all of the attention. 

“Come, child.” Chiron beckoned her over with a wave of his hand. The campers around her started parting to create a clear path. Momo gulped, faltering a bit because of the stares. 

It hasn’t even been a day as a daughter of Poseidon yet and they’re already setting up expectations for me… Maybe Dahyun was right about the whole ‘trouble follows the children of the Big Three’ thing.  

A palm clapped her shoulder. She swiveled her head to see Nayeon. Jeongyeon stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Both of them grinned at her, nodding at her with a certain look in their eyes. It kinda reminded Momo of those parents who were always yelling crazy encouragements at their kids at school sports meet-ups. 

Momo’s eyes flicked over to the other girls; Jihyo’s bright smile was there. Mina had a gentle smile too, accompanied by a subtle nod of her head. Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Tzuyu wore matching smug grins, and they looked like they were seconds away from pulling out more party poppers. 

Sana though... it was Sana’s expression that Momo burned in her mind’s eye. She had a wide smile that threatened to split her face. Her eyes twinkled just like the first time Momo had laid her eyes on Sana. She didn’t even know how just the image of the Daughter of Athena smiling so cutely made her feel better ( and her heart flutter, but you didn’t hear that from her! ). 

Momo turned around and walked forward. The warm support of her friends restored the feeling in her jelly legs. 

She climbed up the steps of the Big House, standing right in front of Chiron. 

“I hope you had a good rest, Miss Hirai.” Chiron had a knowing look and a matching smile as he handed her the scroll. Momo was starting to think that this knowing look was becoming the centaur’s default look. 

“You must take this to the Cave of the Oracle. There, the Oracle of Delphi will give you insight on your quest.” 

Chiron must have seen the confusion on her face for he continued, “Not to worry, Jihyo or Nayeon can you to the Oracle’s Cave.” 

Momo nodded slowly, still trying to take everything in. Chiron directed his booming voice at the crowd next. “Campers! A quest has been issued! We will send Miss Hirai and her companions off in a few days. For now, you may resume your camp activities.” 

Chiron gave her a couple of last words before he entered the Big House. “Come back after your trip to the Oracle. We can discuss your quest and start preparations then.” 

Momo let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as the crowd dispersed. Some campers gave her some encouraging words and wished her luck. Man , was she glad the people here were so friendly. 

An arm slung around her neck. Momo just went with it, already knowing who it belonged to. Nayeon began fake-weeping, her other hand was wiping away her imaginary tears. 

“My baby’s all grown up! Already taking on a quest! It was just yesterday when—” 

Their friend group came forth and everybody chuckled at her exaggerated acting. 

Momo had a nervous smile as she held the golden scroll in her hand. “So... this Oracle and her Cave?” 

“We can take you there.” Jihyo reassured her. “There’s nothing to be worried about. The current Oracle is really nice!” 

“You guys can meet us at Hestia’s Hearth when you’re done. We’ll wait there for you.” Jeongyeon suggested. 

/ 

And off to the Cave of the Oracle they went. 

Jihyo took point, leading them past the Amphitheatre and the Arts & Crafts building. They walked through the tree path. Half-Blood Hill soon came into view, along with the Athena Parthenos and Thalia’s Pine. Something resembling an entrance at the base of the hill caught Momo’s eye. She hadn’t noticed it before. 

There were two lit torches outside the cave. A large purple curtain covered the cave’s entrance. Nayeon said it was for privacy. 

Momo shrugged. Hey—if she was staying in a cave, she’d want some privacy too. 

“The Cave of the Oracle is at the base of Half-Blood Hill. We can’t come in with you but we’ll be right here until you’re done.” Jihyo promised her as they stopped in front of the entrance. 

Momo merely nodded, in a breath, and waved a part of the curtain aside as she stepped in. 

C’mon Momo, it’s just a cave and an Oracle… 

The interior of the cave was not what Momo was expecting. It looked like a big comfy lounge room, if she was being honest. There were some really big sofas and some equally big throw pillows in the middle of the cave floor. Paintings were hanging on the cave walls—they looked like they belonged in a museum instead of a cave. 

Momo ventured to the middle of the cave, standing before one of the big sofas. 

“...umm… hello?” 

“Just a second!” 

A voice called out from some more purple curtains. Momo waited awkwardly as shuffling noises came from behind them. 

A hand parted the curtains, revealing a tall and slim woman. She had frizzy red hair, which was up in a bun with a paintbrush sticking out of it. She wore an oversized camp shirt and faded jeans. Momo noticed that she was barefoot as she walked over to the sofas. 

Momo recognized her as Rachel Dare, the current host of the Oracle of Delphi. Well, she recognized her from Jihyo’s description; she’s never met her before. 

“Hi there! Take a seat, make yourself comfortable!” 

Momo sat down. Her hand fumbled as she held the scroll in front of her. 

“Oh? What’s this?” Rachel took it in her hands and unfolded it. 

“A quest. It was delivered just a few moments ago... by arrow.” 

Rachel chortled under her breath. “Typical of the Gods. They’re so dramatic.” She hummed a little melody as she looked over the scroll. 

Her eyebrows raised up as she murmured, “ A child of the Sea? ” 

She looked up, her stare curious. “You’re a daughter of Poseidon?” 

Momo nodded. Rachel’s green eyes twinkled as a smile appeared, wrinkling the freckles clustered on her cheeks. 

“Looks like you’re in—” 

Rachel was interrupted mid-sentence—by herself . Her eyes glowed bright green and green wisps of smoke came out from . Like literally out of her own mouth!  

Momo was startled by the sight, and even more startled when Rachel started speaking. But it wasn’t Rachel’s nice and laidback voice that came out. This disembodied voice reminded Momo of an older woman, accompanied by a deeper and rougher tone. 

Rachel’s voice and the new voice began speaking in unison in Greek, all the while green smoke swirled around Rachel’s body. Momo deemed it as the spirit of the Oracle speaking through Rachel, because she sure as hell didn’t know who else it could be. 

“To find what you seek, you must delve, 

The clues hidden inside Hercules’ Twelve, 

The haven is cursed, to undo what is done, 

To reverse the acts, restore the rays of the Sun, 

Take back the symbol of the Sea, its three prongs scattered, 

Your guide is in three, beware the black matter, 

Child of Fire, flames you must embrace, 

For it is key in revealing evil’s face.” 

Momo sat still for a moment before she scrambled for the scroll. Grabbing one of the pens laying around on the coffee table, she hurriedly scribbled down the prophecy that the Oracle spewed out. Jihyo had said that sometimes Rachel doesn’t remember what happens when the Oracle takes over. 

Momo wasn’t about to invoke the Oracle’s spirit a second time. She didn’t think the spirit would take kindly to being treated like a prophecy vending machine. 

The green smoke swirled around for a bit before dissipating altogether. Rachel’s glowing eyes returned to a normal green. 

Rachel treated like it was a normal occurrence and said, “Did you get the prophecy?” 

“Yes.” Momo showed her the scroll, her writing underneath the original quest declaration. 

“Huh... looks like you’re in for quite a journey.” Rachel said in amusement as she scratched her cheek. “Well, all I have left to say is good luck!”