Young Writers Society

I could win the lottery if I wanted. Granted, it would take an enormous amount of luck, but I could. It would make things a lot easier-- Eomma [note: Korean for "mom"] could stop worrying about money and cursing the gods every day, I could quit my job at MythicBoba and finally stop smelling like tapioca pearls at school, and we could live in comfort as long as we ignored the monsters that occasionally leapt out from alleyways, throwing banana peels and trying to kill me.

But. That's just wishful thinking. I know winning the lottery won't magically solve all our problems. Magic might be real, but magic cures are scams. Eomma would probably still curse my dad (Caerus, the god of opportunities), and being a demigod means a life of comfort is likely out of the question. Besides, I'd rather save my luck for a life-or-death situation.

No matter how satisfying it would be to spend a little luck to make Clarisse trip over her feet just once. I suppressed the urge to trip the daughter of Ares as she harrassed Marina and I. I'd find a way to get back at her later.

When Mr. D arrived and beckoned us to the Big House, I immediately started thinking of ways to find opportunities in this situation. Big crises are often opportunities for profit, and if there was a way to earn money without having to spend my luck, I was definitely paying attention.

I analyzed the prophecy as Mr. D recited it. Strife, the sea, luck, sunshine... I figured strife meant Ares, or some other minor god of conflict, perhaps. The sea was probably Poseidon, and luck? Well, there was a cabin for Tyche, but as far as I knew, I was the only one who could be said to own their luck in life. I bit my lip.

When Cassandra said my name, I stiffened. I'd suspected it'd be me, but to hear it confirmed... Well. This would be my first time going on a quest.

As I walked to cabin nineteen, I started planning.

Meadows so wide,
Grass so green.
You will travel to a city
Where the buildings all lean.

Nature, plus a city where the buildings lean? Well, perhaps there'd be an opportunity to earn money in the city? If I could pick up some artifact or something along the way, I could pawn it, perhaps...

Lost in my thoughts, I packed a backpack neatly, with my clothes rolled up to save space and to prevent them from wrinkling. I added some ambrosia and nectar, as well as pens and paper (you never knew when you might have to draw a battle plan), and I collapsed my bow and quiver into earrings. Caerus had seen fit to leave those on our doorstep when I was ten, which just made my mother curse him harder, saying a life of battle was no life for a child. Well. Guess what I ended up doing anyways? Yep. Battling my way to Camp Half-Blood when the monsters started coming after me at thirteen.

Finally, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and exited the cabin, waving goodbye to my cabinmates. Most of them were the children of Tyche, but since Caerus and Tyche had similar domains, I'd been put into cabin nineteen.

There was a small group of campers gathered near the road that passed by camp already. I nodded to Marina. I didn't have many friends at camp, but I suppose I'd consider Marina a friendly acquaintance.

"Where do you think we'll go first?" I asked.

Annabeth looked down at her phone, and then glanced up to speak, "If we're going based on the Oracle's propehcy, I'd say somewhere with tall buildings. Whats the first place that comes to mind?"

"The Big Apple." New York City was where I'd lived for most of my life. It had everything, including sewers and bad smells, but eh, apparently that was a fair trade for living in The City™.

"Bingo," Annabeth winked at me, "And, remember Mr. D said that we need Aphrodite's pendant before we do anything, so my guess is that's where we'll find it."

"Got it."

Marina chuckled lightly, "Aphrodite in New York? I wouldn't dream in a million years that the goddess of beauty would have any buisness in that crap-hole."