Chapter 24: Luke’s First Quest

A/N: This chapter is double the usual amount I do on my chapters since there was so much info and as a reader I know how you guys can hate cliffhangers so here you guys go.

A day had passed since the discussion between Thalia and Annabeth. Luke was walking to the dining hall for some food before he ran into Chiron. "There you are Luke," Chiron said. Luke looked at him with a smile. "Was there anything you needed Chiron?" Luke asked. Chiron nodded and looked towards an old cabin house. "The Oracle would like a word with you," he said. Luke then smiled as he realized he could be getting a quest. He then thanked Chiron for telling him and quickly dashed towards the cabin house.

When he arrived in front of the door he prepared to knock. "Come in," an elderly voice said from the inside before he could even knock. Luke, surprised that she knew he was there, opened the door and walked in. He then saw an elderly woman with bleach white hair and wrinkles all over her face. She was sitting near a fireplace that had a small fire crackling.

She then turned her kind eyes towards him. "Luke Castellan I presume," She said. "Who are you and how do you know me?" Luke asked. "My name is Dala and your mother came around when you were 4 years old and tried to become my successor but I told her she was not meant to become the oracle and that if she did she would make your fate shift into something horrible and you would die a painful death and that seemed to wake her up," She explained. Luke listened to the story and realized his kind mother had chosen to not follow her dream so his fate would not be compromised. This had made tears slowly fall down his cheeks. After a few seconds passed Luke quickly wipes his tears and smiles at the old woman. "What was it that you needed me for?" Luke asked. "You were given a quest by your father," she said. Luke smiles, excited at the thought of completing a quest. She then tells him the details about the quest.

He would have to go to the garden of Hesperides and steal the golden apples from there. Luke was smiling at first but that smile soon turned to a frown. "Didn't Hercules do this already?" he asked Dala. Dala could only nod. "I am copying someone else's accomplishment," Luke said with spite. Before Dala could talk to him he had already run out of the house. Luke was pissed and was about to go to the arena and take his anger out on the dummies but before he could he saw Rin walking towards him with a concerned look. "You good?" Rin asked. "Yeah just a bit stressed," Luke lied. "Stop lying, I can tell the emotions people are going through easily and you are not stressed," Rin said seriously. Luke flinched when he was caught.

Luke then thought of what to do and since Rin was one of the few people he trusted, he came clean about what was troubling him. Rin just smiled and laughed at his words. Luke got mad at him because he thought he was pathetic. "What the hell man?!" Luke yelled at him. Rin just looked at him confused and realized his laugh made him look as if he was laughing at him. "Don't misunderstand man, I was laughing at how stupid you are" Rin clarified. Confused Luke looked at him for an explanation. "First, a quest is something everyone here would love to have and you are complaining about it, second this was most likely a test by your dad to see if you are ready for bigger and tougher quests, and last but not least, this can help you get stronger and get ready for future quests you could be apart of," Rin explained to him. Luke realized that every single of his reasons were correct and he was having a tantrum over something that could help him so much more. Rin smiled at Luke as he could see the realization slowly start to crawl on his face. Luke then looked at Rin with an Apologetic look in his eyes. "I am sorry for yelling at you man," Luke said with his head down. Rin just smiled and waved his hand. "It is okay man, many people can never see the opportunity in front of them because of their own emotions, their stubbornness, or even other people, and people must learn how to take on the path even if every fiber of their being says no because they could get the thing their life had always wanted," Rin said wisely.

Later on Luke told Chiron about what was to happen and Chiron had congratulated him on getting a quest. Later that day, during dinner at the dining pavilion, Chiron told everyone of the quest and asked who would go with him as it would be a party of three and Luke was one of them. Rin raised his hand instantly. Chiron nodded at him. 'I am really lucky to have a friend like him' Luke thought to himself while smiling. A minute had passed as no one had raised their hand before a certain silver eyed girl raised her hand. "If you were to go alone, you would probably trip and stab yourself with your blade," Charlotte said jokingly. Luke could only laugh at her words. "Can you see the future or something?" Luke joked. "No just smarter than you to know what would happen," she said to him. Luke did not care about the diss and just smiled.

Chiron then told them where they must go and they soon got on an airplane to the location. It was awkwardly quiet so Rin decided to break the Ice. "Charlotte you say you are smart right?" Rin said provokingly. Charlotte, feeling the challenge in Rin's voice nodded with a smirk. "Then answer three questions of mine," Rin said. Charlotte again nodded smugly knowing she would win. "If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?" Rin said, smiling evilly. Charlotte opened her mouth to answer only to stop and think over the question over and over. Luke and Rin were dying of laughter at her struggle. "I don't know, next," She said, slightly pissed she could not answer it. "If olive oil comes from olives, then where does baby oil come from?" Rin asked his second question. She thought even harder but still drew a blank. Even Luke was trying to think of the question but soon gave up. "I don't know, next," She said, anger showing in her voice. "Last one, if you drop soap on the floor, is the soap dirty or the floor clean?" Rin said with a smile. Charlotte had fumes of anger as she once again could not answer the question. She then ran off to the restroom as she did not want to admit defeat. This led to Luke and Rin laughing their asses off at her pettiness.

They soon landed in San Francisco, California. They quickly went to mountain Tamalpis, where Atlas was holding the sky as he would be next to the garden. When they reached the base of the mountain they got themselves fitted in armor and got ready. They soon walked through a barrier of the mist. They kept on walking for a bit before they saw a sleeping hundred headed dragon surrounding a tree with golden apples. "Ladon," Charlotte whispered. The dragon stirred slightly at its name being spoken but did not wake up. Charlotte looked at Rin and quickly whispered a plan to him. He would have to be a stepping stool for her to get the golden apples.

Rin nodded and got on his knees while Charlotte stepped on his shoulders and held his head to steady herself. He then stood back up and slowly walked over to the tree. When in reach Charlotte reached for the apple. She pulled and pulled until she successfully pulled the apple off. She smiled at how easy the quest was. Luke on the other hand soon saw the eyes of Ladon open sharply. He quickly ran towards both of them and pushed them behind him. Rin and Charlotte both fell on the ground while Charlotte still held the Golden apple in her hands. Ladon was wary of Luke as he was holding a short-sword of celestial bronze, a metal that had the potential of hurting him. Though it soon threw those thoughts away as he saw the glow of the golden apple in Charlotte's hands. Ladon then ignored Luke and started to rush towards her. Rin acted as if he was knocked out by a rock but made sure to take action if anything happened in the end.

Luke, realizing the target of Ladon, quickly ran in front of Charlotte and stood in front of her protecting her. Charlotte could not do anything as her hands were stuck on the golden apple and she could not take them off. Luke was then under the attack of many heads, blocking most of them with his instincts, but around 25 broke through his defenses and still landed hits on him but he still stood strong. Soon many cuts, bite wounds, and small holes came across his whole body. Soon Rin "Woke" up and saw what was happening and rushed over to help. Luke seeing Rin run over quickly thought of what to do. "Get Charlotte out of here, I can't last forever," He said. Rin nodded and tried to pick her up but it seemed the golden apple was too heavy. "Luke I can only slowly drag her out and you need to keep us cover," Rin said to him. Luke just nodded. Rin then started to pull Charlotte away slowly while Luke slowly backed up as well. Charlotte had small tears rolling down her cheek as she saw Luke defending her with his life and she could not do anything.

Right when they were about to get out Luke had run out of steam. "Hey Rin, make sure to tell my pops thx for the chance at least," Luke said as he started to fall on his knees. Charlotte on the other hand was yelling to Rin to go and save him but Rin was exhausted by the weight of the apple. Charlotte now with tears streaming down her cheeks could only see Ladon standing proud above Luke with all his head opened wide ready to bite him to pieces.

What happened next had surprised everyone, even Luke. Luke started to glow a light blue glow and was able to stand up and most of the holes and bite marks on his body though one cut remained and it was on his right eye. Luke had felt power like never before and raised his swords only to cut off ten of Ladon's heads in one swipe though it was too wide of a swing and his sword got stuck in the ground. Losing his head only made Ladon more enraged as it got ready to bite the trapped Luke. Luke closed his eyes and brought up his hands to block any attacks but felt nothing happen. He then opened his eyes only to see himself flying above Ladon. Luke felt a flutter on his legs only to see his feet now covered in yellow shoes with black outlining with gold wings on the side flapping swiftly and rapidly. 'I am proud kiddo, here is a gift from your pops' Luke heard in his ears. Luke realizing who it was, had a huge smile on his face.

He then charged towards his sword and this time pulled it out with the help of his new shoes. He then fought Ladon. He was able to cut off 50 of its heads before it ran back to the tree. The blue glow surrounding Luke faded away as he collapsed then and there. Rin then had to pull both of them out of the entrance which soon after the apple became weightless. When Charlotte could move again she jumped towards Luke and hugged him tightly and saying how big of an idiot he was.

Rin then decided to pay for first class tickets as Luke and Charlotte deserved it. They then ride back in style. The cut across Luke's eyes soon recovered and left a scar. Though the interesting thing was that his right eye also seemed to turn golden.

Charlotte then thought of everything that happened and remembered the blue glow. "Hey Luke, what was that blue glow around you?" she asked curiously. "Honestly, I don't know, all I know was when it surrounded me I got ten times stronger, faster, and was able to heal most of the injuries done to me," Luke said clueless as well. Though they did not see Rin facing away from them while whistling. 'Damn, almost got caught there' Rin thought to himself.

They soon returned to camp and were cheered by all the campers there as they were able to return safely. Though many of the girls looked at Luke with some suggestive smiles, as he looked much cooler with his new eye. Though they were all stared down by a rare creature known as a Charlotte.

Soon they had a whole party and enjoyed their time. Luke then pulls Rin to the side. "Thanks bud, if I did not listen to you I would not have realized what benefits this quest had," Luke said, grateful he had a friend like Rin. "Anything for a friend," Rin said as held out his fist. Luke just smiled and fist bumped him back.

Though when they returned Luke saw a brown haired man in what looked to be a brown tuxedo standing next to Charlotte. Luke instantly felt the connection between the two and realized who it could be. The man feeling the eyes of Luke, turned his head only to see Luke standing there. He then smiled and waved him over. Luke slowly but surely walked over to him. He was then hugged by the said man. "I am proud of you son," he said. Luke, glad he was correct, hugged him back tightly as those were words he always wanted to hear from his dad but since he was never there he never got to. Charlotte was smiling warmly at the father and son hugging. When they finally stopped hugging there was some thunder overhead. "Seems like I have to go soon," Hermes said. "You take care of him and make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble," He said to Charlotte. "And you make sure to take care of her as she is a rare woman that comes only every thousand years," Hermes said before grabbing the golden apple and disappearing in thin air. Luke and Charlotte were blushing at his last words and were having trouble looking at each other.

Rin sitting on one of the benches saw the blushing duo and smiled. 'I am glad you could go the right path this time and be happy' He thought to himself.

This is one of my biggest chapters yet and hope you like it cause it took me so long to think out the plot. Thank you for Reading.