Chapter 23 He snapped his fingers.

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D." Chiron said casually, as if he's reminding Mr. D of that fact again.

"Nonsense, kids wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself, I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father." Said Mr. D, looking at Andromeda with his eyes glowing slightly, only making the girl more nervous. He then looked at Jakob. "And you... well, I wonder if your father would be happy to have you back."

Jakob's body tensed and he gripped the Leviathan Axe tight, ready to spring into action and fight.

"Mr. D-" Chiron said, giving him a warning look, with Mr. D sighing in frustration.

"Oh, all right. There's one more option, but it's deadly foolish." Mr. D said, setting his cards down and standing up, with the invisible players dropping their cards as well.

"I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If these two are still here when I get back, I'll turn her into an Atlantic bottlenose, and him into a insect to crush. Do you understand? And Andromeda Jackson, Jakob Thorsson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do." He warned.

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. Like a credit card.

He snapped his fingers.

The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, and then he was gone, leaving the faint smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

Jakob scoffed. "Of course. I guess that's why he was so insulting, because he'd be going straight to a meeting and we couldn't do anything to him. If he sat there any longer, I wouldn't have hesitated to punch him."

"Picking a fight with a God is not the best idea." Mimir pointed out.

"You say that like I should be afraid of any of the Olympians." Jakob snorted.

Chiron smiled at the two demigods, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Andromeda, Jakob, please. And Grover."

"This had better be important." Jakob muttered as he sat down next to Andromeda, Grover taking another seat nervously.

"Tell me, both of you," Chiron said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

"Not even a challenge." Jakob said bluntly.

"It scared me. If Jakob hadn't killed it, I'd be dead." Andromeda replied honestly, doubting that's what he wanted to hear.

"You'll meet worse, Andromeda, far worse before you're done." Stated Chiron, with the Daughter of Poseidon frowning in confusion at his words.

"Done…with what?" Andromeda asked, wondering what she's even supposed to be doing.

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept?" Chiron asked, looking at them expectantly, while Grover crossed his fingers.

Jakob narrowed his eyes. "What quest? What part do I have in all of this?"

"Well, that's the hard part, the details." Said Chiron with a grimace, with Jakob and Andromeda sharing a frown with each other

Andromeda looked out over the sky, hearing the thunder rumble across the valley, with the storm clouds now reaching the edge of the beach. The ravenette only being able to feel like the sky and sea were about to come alive and start attacking each other at any moment.

"Poseidon and Zeus, they're fighting over something valuable…something that was stolen, aren't they?" Andromeda said, guessing he wanted her to figure it out herself, seeing she was right when Chiron and Grover exchanged a look.

"How did you know that?" Chiron asked, sitting forward and looked at her intently.

"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting-"

"I knew it!" Mimir cut in cheerfully. "I knew the weather's strange patterns were something to do with the Gods! Haha! brother, you owe me mead!"

"I owe you nothing." Jakob scoffed, annoyed that Mimir just had to be right while he dismissed his concerns. The weather could've been anything really!

"Anyway.." Andromeda said after looking at Mimir. "Then I talked to Annabeth and she'd overheard something about a theft. And…I've also been having these dreams."

This made the centaur and Satyr perk up.

"I knew it!" Grover said excitedly, with Chiron looking at him warningly.

"Hush, satyr!" Ordered Chiron, only for Grover to be too excited.

"But it is her quest! It must be!" Grover said.

"A few days ago, you said any quest I got would be incredibly dangerous, now you're excited I'm getting one. I just feel the love G-man, truly." Andromeda said dully, making the satyr bleat in embarrassment, making her smile in amusement.

"Either way, only the Oracle can determine this. Nevertheless, Andromeda, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt." Revealed Chiron.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mimir gaped, Jakob placing the head on the table so he can face Chiron.

"I'm in agreement with Mimir, how did Zeus lose that?" Jakob asked, knowing exactly what was being talked about. Zeus' Master Bolt. His symbol of power.

Was... was that what had gotten the Aesir's attention, taking their eyes off Jakob and allowing him to finally escape Asgard? Someone had stolen Zeus' Master Bolt?

"A lightning bolt?" Andromeda frowned in confusion, not sure what the big deal was, figuring Zeus would have dozens, if not hundreds, of them.

"Do not take this lightly, I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade Celestial Bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives." Chiron warned, wanting her to understand just how dangerous and powerful the Master Bolt is.

"…Oh." Andromeda muttered with wide eyes, not sure what to say to that.

"Zeus's Master Bolt, The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the Master Bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers." Continued Chiron, making the Daughter of Poseidon gulp, unable to imagine a weapon being that powerful.

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