▁take ▁place ▁roughly ▁five ▁years ▁before ▁The ▁Light ning ▁Th ief , ▁the ▁first ▁book ▁of ▁Per cy ▁Jackson ▁& ▁the ▁Olymp ians . ▁ ▁" Per cy ▁Jackson ▁and ▁the ▁Staff ▁of ▁Herm es ": ▁Per cy ▁Jackson ▁and ▁An nab eth ▁are ▁sent ▁by ▁Herm es ▁to ▁retrieve ▁his ▁c adu ce us ▁from ▁the ▁fire - bre ath ing ▁giant ▁C ac us . ▁The ▁story ▁takes ▁place ▁between ▁The ▁Last ▁Olymp ian ▁and ▁The ▁Lost ▁Hero . ▁ ▁" Le o ▁Val de z ▁and ▁the ▁Qu est ▁for ▁B uf ord ": ▁Jason ▁Grace , ▁Leo ▁Val de z , ▁and ▁Pi per ▁Mc Le an ▁confront ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Ma en ads ▁while ▁searching ▁for ▁B uf ord ▁the ▁table , ▁who ▁has ▁run ▁off ▁with ▁an ▁important ▁piece ▁of ▁the ▁un fin ished ▁Ar go ▁II . ▁The ▁story ▁takes ▁place ▁at ▁Camp ▁Half - B lo od ▁between ▁The ▁Lost ▁Hero ▁and ▁The ▁Son ▁of ▁Ne pt une . ▁ ▁" S on ▁of ▁Magic ": ▁Al ab aster ▁Tor r ington , ▁a ▁dem ig od ▁son ▁of ▁H ec ate ▁who ▁fought ▁on ▁K ron os ' s ▁side , ▁finds ▁himself ▁in ▁a ▁fight ▁to ▁the ▁death ▁with ▁Lam ia . ▁He ▁is ▁alone ▁after ▁being ▁ban ished ▁from ▁Camp ▁Half - B lo od ▁following ▁K ron os ' s ▁defeat ▁in ▁The ▁Last ▁Olymp ian ▁and ▁asks ▁the ▁mort al ▁Howard ▁Clay more ▁for ▁help . ▁This ▁story , ▁de