The sun dipped low over Long Island Sound, painting the waves in gold and pink like some godly artist's lazy afternoon doodle. Annabeth and I had snuck away from camp for a "picnic"—which mostly meant blue pancakes, strawberries from the fields, and absolutely zero prophecies. We sprawled on a checkered blanket, her head on my shoulder, the salty breeze ruffling her curls. For once, no monsters, no quests, just us. Tartarus felt like a bad dream, and New Rome's peace treaty meant I could almost believe in normal.
"Seaweed Brain, you're quiet," she teased, popping a strawberry into her mouth. "Thinking about the future or just spacing out?"I grinned, heart hammering like I'd chugged a dozen energy drinks. "Nah, Wise Girl. Just thinking how lucky I am with you." The truth? I was sooooo nervous. I'd been planning this for weeks. I had slipped away to Hephaestus's forge at camp, bribed Leo(A/N: In this story, Leo and Calypso came back to camp. Just roll with it ;) with a not-so-subtle threat, and I got this custom-made ring for Annabeth. It had a silver band, etched with tiny owls in mid-flight, their wings curling around a center stone: coral from the depths of my dad's palace, swirled with a diamond that caught the light like a trapped star. Demigod-proof, enchanted to never tarnish, and yeah, it screamed *us*—her mom's wisdom, my ocean chaos. I sat up, pulling the velvet box from my pocket. Her gray eyes widened as I dropped to one knee, sand shifting under me.
"Annabeth Chase, you've been my anchor through hell—literally, and are the one true love of my life. Will you marry me?"The ring gleamed as I opened it, owls glinting like they approved. She gasped, tears sparkling. "Yes, Percy. Gods, yes."We kissed as the waves crashed, completing the happiest memory of my life. However, it wasn't meant to last as Clarrise and some other campers grabbed us and dumped us into the lake as we shared a second underwater kiss.
The sun had just started to rise when I stirred, the lake sand gritty under me as I woke up with Annabeth's arm slung over my chest like she was anchoring me even in sleep. Our picnic blanket from last night was a crumpled mess(Not like that!;), the empty blue basket standing still in the fluttering breeze, and that ring on her hand—gods, it was her ring now—still sparkling on her finger. I smiled at the memory of my proposal and was perfectly at peace until Grover burst from the dunes, hooves clacking like maracas, his reed pipes dangling from his neck.
"Percy! Annabeth! Chiron needs you—now!" he bleated, eyes wild behind his curly bangs. "Big godly summon. Like, thunderbolt-level urgent."
Annabeth bolted upright, instantly alert, her brain kicking into overdrive. "What happened? Monster breach?"
"Worse. Gods." Grover helped us shake off the sand, and we sprinted back to camp, my proposal memories fading into dread. Chiron was waiting at the Big House porch, tail swishing nervously, and Argus was waiting with the Camp chariot nearby.
"No time for details," Chiron said, voice grave. "The gods have called you to Olympus. Both of you." We piled into the chariot—pulled by Blackjack and his newfound mate Mollie—and after a quick good morning, we rocketed skyward. The ground blurred below in a quick ascent, Manhattan's lights smearing into a glow before we touched down in the throne room's shadow.
Olympus's size and grandeur shocked us like always: marble gleaming under eternal sun, but Annabeth's redesigns made it look even better—sweeping arches she'd sketched herself, blending Greek classics with modern flair.
"Wise Girl, this place looks amazing," I whispered, squeezing her hand. "You turned Zeus's tacky palace into something that doesn't scream 'midlife crisis.'"
She smirked, but it faded as the gods materialized on their thrones—Zeus crackling with electricity, Poseidon chill as ocean depths, Athena eyeing us like we'd failed a pop quiz. Hecate lounged in the shadows, fiddling with some glowing runes, and even Hermes zipped in late, snack in hand.
"Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase," Zeus boomed, his voice echoing off the walls. "Heroes of Olympus, we summon you for a quest beyond our realms."
Artemis leaned forward, silver eyes glinting. "A war rages in Alagaësia—a world of dragons, riders, and ancient magics tied to words of power. Their king, Galbatorix, wields forbidden spells that threaten the balance. He seeks artifacts that could pierce our veil, summoning eldritch horrors even we fear."
Athena nodded sharply. "Your skills are needed. Demigod prowess against his shades and Urgals, the monsters of their world," she explained. "Annabeth, your strategic mind can hopefully steer clear of any disasters; Percy, your command of elements to counter their fire-breathing allies."I blinked, brain short-circuiting. "Wait, dragons? Like, Harry Potter-level or Toothless level?? And why us? We've barely caught a breath since Tartarus!"
Annabeth crossed her arms, gray eyes flashing. "We've saved this world twice. Why don't you pick someone else for this quest?"
Hermes chuckled, taking a sip of nectar. "Feisty as ever. But Galbatorix's magic echoes the ancient tongue—words that bind reality. If he cracks the Vault of Souls, it could unravel threads to our domain. Monsters slipping through, gods weakened. You go, you stabilize it."
Zeus's eyes narrowed. "Refuse, and the fates weave a darker, deadlier future. Accept, and return as legends—perhaps with boons."
We argued for what felt like hours—me yelling about godly entitlement ("Lightning bolt this, Zeus!"), Annabeth was trying to use logic, which didn't go so well against the goddess of wisdom.
Poseidon pulled me aside, water swirling in his eyes: "Son, it's bigger than us. Dragons are kin to sea serpents in legend—help them, honor the old pacts."
Eventually, we caved. "Fine," I grumbled. "But no solo quests this time. We're a team, or nothing."
"Fate," Annabeth added, "not gods, decides our path."The throne room shimmered as they waved us off. Hecate snapped her fingers, portaling us to Sally's apartment in a swirl of mist. Mom was in the kitchen, apron dusted with flour, Estelle giggling at her feet while Paul graded papers nearby. One look at our faces, and Sally dropped her spoon."Percy? Annabeth?" She pulled us into hugs that smelled like blue cookies and home. We spilled the quest—Alagaësia, dragons, and the works. Estelle tugged my shirt: "Dwagons, Brotha Pewcy? Take me!"Percy chuckled sadly at his amazing 2 year old half sister, wishing I could spend more time with her. "Be safe, Estelle. We'll make sure to bring back stories." Sally slipped me a care package—blue snacks, ambrosia stash, and a tearful "Come home alive." We lingered, promising Iris-messages, then Hecate whisked us back to camp.
Night was deepening by the time we headed back to Camp Half-Blood, stars pricking the sky like warnings. Chaos reigned: friends swarmed the Big House porch—Grover chomping tin cans nervously, Piper and Jason mid-argument about aerial support, Leo tinkering with a portal gadget "just in case." Nico shadow-traveled in, Will Solace fussing over his underworldy abilites; Thalia zapped a sparkler in salute, smirking, "Congrats on the marriage. About time you two made it official. Quest already?"
"Yeah, you know how it is, you turn and another quest pops up," Annabeth replied sadly.
We packed fast—Riptide, Annabeth's dagger, celestial bronze armor resized for whatever Alagaësia threw. Goodbyes blurred: Chiron's wise nod ("The gods test, but heroes endure"), Grover's reed-pipe lament, hugs from the Seven that felt like saying see-you-never.
"Don't die, Percy," Jason clapped my back. "Annabeth, stay safe."
Hecate's portal yawned open at the forest edge—a vortex of swirling mist and draconic roars echoing from within. "Step through," she hurried. "Alagaësia is outside of time, separate from most other worlds, so by the time you are ready to come back, no time will have passed here. Once you reach the mighty forest of Du Weldenvarden, you will see the rest of your quest."
Annabeth gripped my hand, ring cool against my skin. "Ready?"
"All in," I said, heart pounding. We leaped as night fully fell, the portal swallowing us in a rush of wind and ancient whispers. Alagaësia awaited—dragons, wars, and fates weirder than Greek ones. Gods help us.
Words: 1331
A/N: WHOHOHO! First part is DONE!