The tour was nice, I supposed.
I couldn't help being wary of the camp. Mom and Triton both didn't want me there for my safety, and clearly Zeus-re'rai was… displeased with me. I didn't know what was going on, or what it had to do with me, but I was worried.
Maybe they thought I was the son of Poseidon-ore instead of Okeanus-ari? With the theft He was being accused of that might make sense…
We passed the volleyball pit where several campers nudged each other, peering at me curiously. I shifted, feeling a bit self-conscious in my dirty blue shirt and sweatpants cause I never change out of my pajamas.
"That's him ."
Most of the campers looked older than me. And the satyrs scattered around were bigger than Grover too. Everyone was wearing CAMP HALF-BLOOD t-shirts, though the satyrs weren't wearing pants.
I was uncomfortable with all the staring, but Triton taught me how to act around others so I put on a smile and kept my head held high.
I glanced back at the farmhouse we came from while Khiron talked about the volleyball court (added a hundred years ago). It was bigger than I'd realized, four stories tall. It was blue with a white trim, and the wrap around porch. AAt the very top was a brass eagle weather-vane, gleaming in the sunlight.
A movement in the uppermost window caught my eye, along with a trailing velvet soft itch.
"What's up there?" I asked Khiron.
He looked at where I pointed, "Just the attic." His smile faded slightly.
"Does anybody live up there?" I questioned.
"No," He said firmly. "Not a single living thing."
I frowned. Something had moved the curtain… but maybe he just didn't want me to know about it? I was new…
"Come along, Percy," He said as he brightened in a bad attempt to change the subject. "Lots to see!"
OO OO OO OO
Khiron led me through the strawberry fields, explaining how the campers would help care for them as part of their weekly duties. The energy of the field brushed over my skin, light but energizing, twining over my arms much like Lord D's vines. My mouth tasted of fresh bread.
Campers and satyrs were out picking strawberries and encouraging the plants growth.
Khiron told me that the camp grew crops for export to restaurants and Mount Olympus, since apparently they couldn't just… magic up some money.
"It pays our expenses," he explained, "And the strawberries take almost no effort. Though right now all the strawberries are being kept for the Summer Solstice Festival."
Lord D's presence encouraged the growth of fruit-bearing plants in general, though it was most evident with grapes. He was banned from growing those though, which I didn't understand. His restriction was on wine, wasn't it?
I thought that Khiron was maybe overly strict with Lord D.
That didn't stop me from eying the plants as we walked. The others were encouraging their growth with their powers, or at least that's what I thought they were doing. I could probably do the same, practicing my Siren's Song on them.
I wondered if Grover was able to do that too, like the satyrs scattered around were.
That reminded me, "Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?"
Khiron sighed, "Grover has big dreams, perhaps bigger than is reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill."
Well… Grover definitely didn't get me to camp safely… but he did find me, and got me to the hill. And he definitely showed courage trying to help me with Ms. Dodds.
So uh… what else did they want? Courage was the thing they wanted, right? Or did they want success? Those were two different things?
"Didn't… didn't he do that?"
"I might agree that he did," Khiron said solemnly, "But it is the place of Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders to decide. And I don't believe they'll consider this a success. He lost you in New York, then the ah… unfortunate fate of your mother… And of course, the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The Council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."
"Courage isn't succeeding though?" I said in confusion. He was afraid, he tried anyway, wasn't that courage?
"If he is brave, but unable to succeed then he isn't ready for a harder job," Khiron said.
I supposed that made sense, though I thought that perhaps they should've helped him rather than criticized him. I didn't want to argue the point too much though, Grover was still… touchy. I wasn't sure how I felt about him, not after the spying and tension from the school year.
But that didn't mean that I wanted him to lose his dream.
"Will he be given a second chance?"
Khiron winced, "Unfortunately this was his second chance. The last time was… a disaster. The Council was not anxious to give him this chance, and I advised him to wait as well… he's still so small for his age."
I frowned, scratching at my arms, non-mortal beings aged slower so… "How old is he?"
"Oh, twenty-eight."
Huh, he seemed tall for his age then. I didn't know any other satyrs but from what I knew of magical species in the ocean, many of them would've been even shorter, if they had a varied life span at least. Maybe on land it was different?
I wondered what happened last time. If he was small now, surely he must've been smaller before. Why would they send him out if they didn't think him ready?
"So what happened last time?"
Khiron looked away quickly, "Let's move along, shall we?"
I bit back a scowl. He really did like avoiding my questions, but he did give some information in what he'd said so far.
He'd called my mom's Fate unfortunate. Somehow… somehow I didn't think he'd meant her death.
Mortals didn't die in a flash of gold light, he would know that. He had to know that.
Which meant he knew my mom was alive.
And he didn't tell me.
My scowl formed despite my best efforts, but I quickly smoothed my expression. My mom was alive, I was certain of that. I would just have to find her.
"Come Percy. Let's check out the woods."
I followed him to the woods.
The woods, or more accurately the forest, was massive. The trees towered over me, the area beneath their leaves dark. The forest covered what had to be half the valley, its presence rustling over my skin in a way reminiscent of the voice from the pit, yet rougher, like bark.
The forest was alive, and seemed rather old. I'd have to be careful if I explored it.
"The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed."
I blinked, stocked?
"Stocked with what?" I asked slowly, eying the trees with new wariness.
"You'll see. Capture-the-flag is on Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"
"My own—" I had a trident?
"Oh, you should have Anaklusmos still, I'll need that back."
What? Anaklusmos– was that the one from the museum? Why did he ask me if I had a sword then demand the one he gave me back?
"That's my sword," I said. The name of it was fitting, Anaklusmos, Riptide.
Khiron frowned, "That sword is one I am to hand out at the right time. I've allowed you to keep it thus far because I needed to keep you safe, but now I must have it back to keep it safe."
The sword. The sword of the ocean. The sword from the ocean. The sword meant for someone of the ocean. That sword?
That wasn't Khirons. That was the immortal power of someone else, someone I didn't know. And clearly he didn't know either– It wasn't his to pass off to someone!
Well, it wasn't mine either of course, but I was at least of the sea and could ask Triton if he knew the owner.
"It's mine," I insisted, refusing to drop it.
"It's not," he said calmly. "I'll need it back now."
Khiron held his hand out expectantly.
I bit my lip, I couldn't exactly say it wasn't of the sea, or that I was. Triton specifically told me not to use my powers and I was pretty sure this sort of thing fell under that. How was I supposed to argue my point?
"Perseus."
I glared at the ground, not wanting to give it back. But it didn't seem like I had a choice. I thought back to Triton's lessons and reluctantly pulled the pen that was a sword that was a pen from my back and put it in his hand. Maybe he would let his guard down that way and I could steal it back.
My hand dropped to fiddle with my bracelet as he put the pen in his own pocket.
I wondered if my trident fell under the 'don't use your powers' rule. Could I use the knife? No, that was made of Abyssal Platinum, mined in the Abyssal zone of the ocean. It might be recognized, and also wasn't very good for sparing.
"I'll talk to the armory about getting you a sword and shield. Now then, let's go to the archery range."
I took a deep breath and resisted the urge to snatch the pen back right then.
Archery was fairly pointless, at least that was what Triton said. It was pretty useless in the water, so no one in the sea really bothered to learn it.
But those at the archery range were good shots. I could feel brushes of warmth ghost down my arms when they fired, arrows gleaming just slightly too bright as they fired like a sun beam to the target.
Khiron led me past the lake on the way to the stables, and I smiled at the naiads there. I'd have to come by some time to chat.
We didn't linger at the stables, Khiron didn't seem to like them, but we were still there long enough for me to realize I understood the Pegasi speaking.
I wondered about that as Khiron led me onward. Was it because horses were made by Poseidon-ari? And pegasi were His children, or descendants I supposed? Was that enough of the sea for me to understand them?
I put the thought aside as we paused at the javelin range, currently empty, then moved along to the Amphitheater. It was large, and had a pit in the center for a fire.
The arena was next, and Khiron informed me that that was where they held sword and spear fights. I wondered if they only had sword and spear fights, or if other weapons were allowed. I'd never used a spear, and preferred a trident over a sword.
By the time we reached the open pavilion I'd decided that I didn't like the crackling static feel of the camp, and was rubbing my arms to try and get some other feeling in them.
"And there's the mess hall."
Khiron motioned to the outdoor pavilion. It was lovely, framed in white Grecian columns and overlooking the sea from the top of the hill. There were a dozen stone picnic tables, each with a cloth table cover, and a bronze brazier, the flame currently low, but no roof or walls.
I wondered if the camp barriers kept the rain out. That would be a powerful bit of magic, but this was a camp for the children of the Gods. And Lord D was here, so maybe He handled it?
Everything here was so different than in the sea, it was a bit overwhelming. I knew how the sea worked, but here there were all new rules and magics and the myths were focused on the land, not the sea.
I didn't really know what to do about everything.
Khiron led me past the forges and the craft area, offering some information about activities at them, before finally turning towards the cabins.
They were all very interesting, and very different. I studied them all curiously, they all positively dripped magic. I took a slow breath, slowly running my hands down my arms to try and brush something off. It took all my self control to not claw at my arms instead.
The crackling static was annoying, edging my senses just enough to make me uncomfortable but not pained. But the cabins on top of that? They were far too much. I would like them to please stop existing, immediately.
Maybe Triton would have a solution, I did not enjoy my senses, they were overwhelming.
Despite all the cabins having magic, they looked (and felt) nothing alike.
The cabins were arranged in a U shape, with two at the base–where we started–and five on each side in neat rows. The only similarity they had visible was the large brass number above the doors that showed odds were on the left, and evens were on the right.
Cabins one and two were at the base. Cabin one was big and bulky, with polished bronze doors that streaked with lightning. It was primarily white, with painted carvings decorating the sides. It crackled like the thunderstorm the other night.
Cabin two was the opposite, graceful and sleek with elegant columns covered in pomegranates, flowers, and vines and walls covered in painted images of peacocks and golden trees.
Cabin three was beside cabin one, starting the row Khiron was leading me down. It reminded me of the ocean, though more shaped to land. The outer walls seemed to be taken straight from the ocean floor, with mosaics pressed into them with sea glass that depicted stories I knew from the books Triton gave me. The sound of rushing water filled my ears as we walked past.
Next was cabin five, and it was bloody. Not literally, though it was deep red and the roof lined with barbed wire. But it tasted like blood in my mouth. Above the doorway was a boar's head whose eyes seemed to follow me.
We passed by a flame in the center of the cabins and I paused for a moment. There was something different there. It was like… a warm hug from my mom. I glanced at the girl sitting by the flames, her hair covered in a soft brown veil. She tended to the flames with a stick.
She felt like home.
Khiron kept moving, so I hurried to catch up.
Cabin seven shone like the sun. It was shining gold, bright and beautiful. It was a bit hard to look straight at, but the sensations coming from it were warm and comfortable.
Cabin nine, in contrast, was a searing warmth, smelling like hot metal. It had tiny smokestacks on the top, and an industrial feel to the classic Greek design.
Khiron stopped in front of Cabin eleven. It was… plainer than the rest. It had a homey summer cabin feel, like from TV. The door looked solid, though it was open at the moment. The cabin itself… tickled. Kinda like feathers brushing over me.
"Here we are Percy, cabin eleven, oh look Annabeth is waiting for us." Khiron stopped near the cabin.
The blond girl from the Big House, Annabeth, was sitting in front of the cabin on the grass, leaning against the wall.
She looked over me critically as we reached her, her brows furrowed. I wondered if she was still thinking about how much I drool.
She closed her book, the title in Greek, αρχιτεκτονική. It had a picture of an Ancient Temple on the front, with some lines around it that seemed to have information.
"Annabeth," Khiron said, "I have Master's Archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"
"Yes, sir."
"Cabin eleven," Khiron said again to me, gesturing to the cabin. "Make yourself at home."
I turned to study the cabin closer, noting that there was also a… taste of incense with the tickling brushes of feathers. The cabin was old looking, yet sturdy. The paint was cracked, though not peeling, and held faint patterns in a faded white that depicted floating feathers. The doorway held the doctors' symbol over it–Cad-something or other.
With the door open, I could see inside… and those inside could see me. They watched me.
The inside was filled with people, more than the number of bunk beds. The floor had quite a few fluffy sleeping bags on it, spread out to allow enough space to walk around.
Despite the ten or so bunk beds, there were at least another ten sleeping bags on the floor. I noticed two doors in the cabin, which probably went to the bathrooms.
Khiron nodded from the doorway, "Well, then," He said. "Good luck, Perseus. I'll see you at dinner."
He galloped away towards the archery range.
Who said 'good luck' for this kind of situation?
I forced a breath out, rolling my shoulders and holding back a wince as the ache that had throbbed in the back of my mind came to the forefront once more. The kids in the cabin were studying me, sizing me up, I couldn't just drop on the grass to sleep away the pain.
I pulled my best smile on, shoved my pain back, and waved.
"Well? Go on." Annabeth said.
I stepped in carefully and made my smile brighter, "Hello."
"Aphrodite kid," muttered a girl with a blue veil covering her hair.
"Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven." Annabeth waved her hand to encompass everyone in the cabin.
"Regular or undetermined?" Someone called from within.
"Undetermined." Annabeth said.
Everyone groaned.
A guy stepped forward, with blond hair and a bright smile. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."
I glanced at the spot on the floor where I would be sleeping, tucked near the corner, then back at the teenager. He had a thick white scar running from just beneath his right eye all the way to his jaw, like something had clawed at his face.
"This is Luke," Annabeth said, her voice strange. I looked away from the teen to her and found her cheeks a bit pinker. She glanced at me, and her expression hardened again. "He's your counselor for now."
I tilted my head, fingers fiddling with my conch shell charm, "For now?"
"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all the newcomers, all those without a place. It's only natural, Hermes, our patron, is the God of Travelers."
I nodded slowly, wondering why he'd call Hermes his patron if that was (probably) his dad .
The campers in the cabin watched me with various looks. Some looked suspicious, eyeing me like I was about to steal from them. Others grinned mischievously, eyeing me like they were about to steal from me.
Many of the girls were wearing head covers, and several of the boys too. There were a variety, bandanas, veils, and some hats. Many were brightly covered, a few more subdued in blacks, browns, or grays. One had a sparkly circlet holding the veil in place.
I wondered why they wore the veils. Veils weren't very common in the ocean, used for special occasions if at all. Covering the hair wasn't really a thing in the ocean though, they didn't even have crowns in the majority of the ocean.
"How long am I expected to be here?" I asked lightly, done surveying the room.
"Until you're determined," Luke said kindly, drifting sand slipped over my skin.
"How long does that normally take?"
I already knew who my Dad was, though He definitely didn't have a cabin here. I wondered why there were so few cabins when there were so many Gods, space limitation? Maybe Gods with connected realms went to the cabin of the Olympian?
The campers all laughed at my question.
"Come on," Annabeth told me. "I'll show you the volleyball court."
I stumbled as she grabbed my wrist and tugged me outside. I didn't get what I'd said wrong. Land Godly stuff was so confusing.
After we'd moved a few feet away, out of the sight line and hearing range of the cabin, Annabeth turned to me. "Jackson, you have to do better than that."
I stared at her absolutely baffled, "What?"
She rolled her eyes, mumbling under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."
My eye twitched. I'd had a horrible week, my mom was gone , I couldn't use any of my powers, everything was hurting, no one was answering my questions, and everyone seemed to have high expectations for who I was. I was rather sick of this.
"What," I hissed. "Is your problem?" Just because I killed the stupid Minotaur–"
"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth snapped. "Do you know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"
"To what, watch their mom die in front of them?"
She flinched, her eyes shifting away with guilt flashing through them, "No… to fight the Minotaur. That's– that's what we all train for… but I–I'm sorry for your loss."
I glared at her, unmoved by her condolences. "Any of you would be more than welcome to take my place in that fight. I'd be delighted to go back home with my mom and not deal with terrors killed thousands of years ago yet still deciding to pop up and try to kill me now."
She blinked, head tilted, "Terrors?"
"I don't like calling them monsters," I said, raising my chin stubbornly. "I've read some translations that call the malicious one's terrors, so I call them that."
She opened her mouth, closed it, then shook her head. "Well, okay, sure, whatever. But– well the monsters, terrors, whatever you call them, they don't die. You can kill them but they don't die."
That did explain why Ms. Dodds came back, but I didn't understand why or how that happened. "Why? How? That doesn't make sense –"
"They don't have souls," Annabeth explained. "Not like you and me. So you can dispel them for a while, destroy their form, they might even stay gone for your whole lifetime. But they're primal forces, the life in nature, in existence. They're amortal, so eventually they'll reform."
I thought of the Minotaur, the salty rubbing itch of the curse on it. Did that not have a soul? The myth said it was born like that, but it had a mom and a dad. I didn't understand what went into a soul, didn't understand this. I'd have to ask Triton sometime.
"Okay," I said, dropping that convo for now. "But why do I have to stay in cabin eleven? There are other cabins, and a few look empty."
Annabeth shook her head, "You don't choose your cabin. It depends on who your parents are. Or… your parent."
I couldn't exactly say who my dad was, even before Triton told me to keep my powers hidden I'd been informed my parentage could endanger me. So instead I raised my chin, "My mom is Sally Jackson. My dad is lost at sea, disappeared before I was born. I have no idea who he is except that I apparently look like him."
Annabeth sighed, looking tired. It seemed like she'd had this conversation before and was very over it. "Your dad isn't lost at sea, or dead, or any other mortal fate. This is all covered in the orientation video, honestly."
I raised an eyebrow, "Well, first off, I didn't see that video. And secondly, you've never met my dad so…"
She faltered, blinking at me, "Khiron didn't show you the video?"
"No."
"...Oh…" she licked her lips. "Okay then uh… Let me go over the basics. You were diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia and maybe autism, right?"
I nodded slowly, "ADHD and dyslexia."
"And you probably struggled to stay in one school, getting kicked out a lot, maybe for things that weren't even your fault."
I nodded again.
"Well, if you combine those things, plus the 'missing' dad, and the fact that the Minotaur targeted you, it's almost a guarantee that your dad isn't mortal. Our dyslexia is for non-Greek letters, which means Latin and basically any other language's lettering system."
I frowned, "Okay?"
"The ADHD–you're impulsive and can't sit still in the classroom. A big part of the Hyperactivity in ADHD amongst demigods comes from their battlefield reflex, in a real fight, they'd keep you alive. Attention problems come from enhanced senses, you have better senses than any mortal and a harder time turning them off, making it so you notice a lot more and have trouble focusing on one thing."
"And the other stuff?"
"The stuff like hyperfocus and RSD, the executive dysfunction, all of that kinda got mixed in over time. Some of it might result from instincts, RSD maybe from when someone being negative or neutral could mean your death, and hyperfocus from the time when you had to get things done or you'd die, but… most of it probably just combined over time."
"What about autism?"
She shrugged, "That's just a common correlation, I'm not sure what connection it might have to Godly instincts. But those things are why teachers want you medicated, a lot are monsters and they don't want you to see them for what they are."
"But I've always seen them, and never been recommended to be medicated, mostly because we couldn't. But doesn't medication help?"
"It does help," she said grudgingly. "It can be a big help with being able to focus, but it also dulls your senses a lot . You got lucky with teachers at least, but if I was wrong about this, about you being like me and all the other kids at camp, then you would be dead."
I raised an eyebrow.
"You drank the nectar and ate the ambrosia, mortals… they can't do that. You have to have divine blood to survive that. Plus, the Minotaur definitely would've killed you."
Was she talking about ambrosia and nectar like the myths? I supposed that had to be real too, though it wasn't something in the sea, that I knew of.
"That's the food of the Gods right?"
Second only to sushi.
She nodded, "Yeah exactly. It heals demigods–"
"Well!" A husky voice called, "A newbie!"
I bit back a groan at the interruption to Annabeth finally answering my questions.
We both turned to the source of the voice. A big girl, I thought she'd been outside the red cabin, was sauntering towards us. Three boys were following behind her. They were all big, taller than me and Annabeth, and had rather mean looking grins on their faces. All of them wore XL camo jackets and the girl in the front had a bandana on her head.
"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"
"Oh, sure, Miss Genius," the big girl, Clarisse I assumed, said. "Make it nice and shiny to run you through Friday night."
I gaped when Annabeth basically cussed Clarisse out in Greek, " Erre es korakas!" You don't stand a chance!"
"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse snarled, her eye twitching as she leered at Annabeth. I got the feeling she wasn't confident in her ability to follow through with that threat.
I straightened when she turned to me and pulled on my lessons to offer her a bright smile.
"Who's this little runt, and what's with the blue hair?"
It'd been a bit since someone commented on my hair.
"This is Percy Jackson, Percy, meet Clarisse, daughter of Ares." Annabeth motioned between us, her expression tight.
"Nice to meet you!" I chirped as happily as I could, "And I really like blue so I dyed my hair." I beamed at her.
Maybe this was something I could de-escalate.
She squinted at my smile, a small frown on her lips even as the three behind her relaxed slightly.
Clarisse tilted her head, then nodded, "Now see here Prissy, we've got an initiation ceremony for newbies like you."
"Clarisse–" Annabeth started.
"Stay out of it, wise girl."
I considered the situation for just a moment before stepping forward with a cheerful smile fixed on my lips.
"That's so nice of you to welcome new campers! Do you do some kind of crafting activity? Or show us how to do a training exercise? Oooh, do we make our own camp T-shirt?"
She blinked at me, the three behind her shifting.
"Look, Prissy–"
"And that's so fun that you've already given me a nickname! What should I call you? Claire?"
Her eye twitched and she let out a slow breath, but I gave no sign of noticing.
"I love your cabin by the way, it's the red one with the barbed wire, right? It must be great for keeping people away. Not that you need the extra incentive." I rocked back on my heels, flicking the lid off of my waterskin as I did.
"…Don't you dare call me Claire." She scowled, adding under her breath, "Like this kid is big three material."
"Oh sorry, I didn't realize that was impolite. I'm new, you know."
"Yes," She hissed, "So we're going to put you through initiation."
"That sounds great," I chirped. "What activity should we do? Do you think you could show me how to paint pottery at the arts and crafts?"
Annabeth coughed, hiding her mouth with a hand.
"No!" Clarisse snapped and stepped forward.
She reached out to grab my neck and I acted. A flick of my wrist sent a thread of water curling out of the waterskin, her body blocking my actions from view as she grabbed my neck and yanked me over. The water slipped around her and soaked through her shirt as she pulled me forward, and then it froze against her skin.
"ARGH," she let me go to yank her shirt, "Cold!"
I stumbled back, hand going to my head as it throbbed from the sudden pull.
And here I'd been hoping that I was all better, it looked like I wasn't at all. Everything that had been a background ache so far was now very clear and I had to bite my lip to stop from making a sound.
The sensations from the tree on the hill and cabins around me definitely didn't help either.
I managed to draw enough focus to make the ice melt while forcing myself to stand up straight.
The water slipped away from her, sliding into the grass though I kept a mental grasp on it for the moment.
She turned to glare at her friends behind her, "Who did that?"
They just stared in confusion.
"Are you okay, Claire?"
She turned a furious glare to me at my sugar sweet words, "Yes. Not get your butt over–"
As she stepped forwards I guided the water on the ground around her ankle. It yanked.
With a cry she toppled over.
"You'd best be careful," I said, words dripping from my mouth like sweet water from a taipanu. "I hear that one of the greatest weaknesses of boars are their ability to get tangled in grasses."
She shot up, murder in her eyes and a snarl on her lips. Her friends grabbed her before she could charge, pulling her back while whispering to her quickly.
"How…" Annabeth murmured as she turned to give me a thoughtful look.
"What?" I asked.
"I think," she said, glancing back to where Clarisse had gone. "That I want you on my team for Capture the Flag."
OO OO OO OO
Annabeth showed me around more, pointing out the metal shop and the arts-and-crafts room. She explained what the people in them were doing and why. Those in the arts-and-crafts area were making sundials and sun catchers apparently, they were for the Summer Solstice festival.
She took me to the climbing wall next. It was a very tall set of two walls that faced each other and dropped boulders, lava, and people down the sides and then also crashed together if you didn't reach the top fast enough.
That sounded like a lawsuit in the making, but who was I to judge? I wondered who the God of lawsuits was.
Finally, we settled at the canoeing lake.
"I've got training to do," Annabeth said softly, trailing her feet in the water. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."
I nodded, "Thanks."
Her eyes turned to me as I studied the water, fingering my bracelet. She glanced at it.
"Where'd you get the bracelet?"
"It was a gift… from a friend of mine."
She studied it, "They a fan of Poseidon?"
My fingers trailed to the trident charm, my mind drifting to Triton's grumbles about how annoying Poseidon-ore could be. And how He really needed to get a hobby and not bug Triton about lessons and how He kept bringing Triton along to boring events, and how He was always so busy.
"... not really?"
She hummed, leaning back and I went back to studying the water.
I smiled when I noticed the naiads sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier. They smiled and waved at me.
I grinned and waved back.
"Don't encourage them," Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."
"Well I think they're nice."
She sighed, staring out at the water for a long moment. Small waves lapped against the shore, the sea breeze ruffled our hair. The setting sun sent streaks of color across the sky in a red-and-pink rainbow.
"You need to talk to the Oracle."
I turned to her in confusion, "Who?"
Oracles were a big deal in the ocean, Triton had explained it to me before. They were few and far between, but coveted for the aid they could offer with their skills. Rosa held great potential to be one, and was learning how to gain some control over her talent and she had eyes on her for it. I knew she had a guard on her at all times because of it too.
They were more common in the ocean than on land, in fact I was fairly certain all but like… four major oracles were from the sea in some way.
"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Khiron."
A what? Was it like the oracle trees I'd heard Rosa mention once? The Grove of Dodona or something?
"Do I have to?" I asked after a moment. A prophecy would mean staying here, would mean acting on what I learned. Prophecies were guides, and trying to avoid them usually ended in disaster. "I just… I just want to go home."
I wanted to go to Triton, to see my friends, to just… go to the ocean and not leave. I ached all over, physically and emotionally, and just… I was tired.
Annabeth studied me solemnly, "Don't you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place for kids like us, for demigods."
I stared at the water, my eyes stinging. "Right."
Annabeth rubbed her face, "Khiron did at least talk to you about the Gods being real right? And how we're their kids?"
"Yeah, I knew about that," I grumbled. Who was her parent anyways?
"Who's your parent, dad, whatever, then?"
She straightened, her hands tightening on the pier railing. Did I say something wrong?
"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."
I blinked, mentally going through a list of goddesses' that weren't a virgin or definitely not having a kid…
That left… Demeter… Aphrodite… Hekate? And an assortment of other minor ones…
"What?" She continued, "You assume it has to be a male God who finds a human attractive? How sexist is that?"
I bit back a groan. I was so done with everything.
"Look," I griped. "I'm no expert on the myths, and most of the ones I've read only talk about Gods falling in love with humans. I'm sure there are some Goddess' doing that, like Thetis, but I don't really know of them. There aren't many well-known Goddesses that aren't either married or a virgin Goddess. I'm very sorry that I assumed it would be a God, who's your mom?"
"Cabin six," she muttered, looking away with red cheeks.
"What does that mean?" I asked, exhausted.
Annabeth straightened again. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."
Sure, that worked… wait, no it didn't.
"Isn't She a virgin goddess?"
Annabeth nodded, "I"m a thought child, born of Her thoughts. Like how She was born of Zeus' head."
"Wait but wasn't She born from Metis in His head?"
She shrugged, "The myths vary, I'm not entirely certain which is right. But regardless of that, She is capable of creating Her children from Her mind."
"Huh… Cool."
I studied the water as I mulled everything over. Clearly things were tense here, and I needed to find my mom. I really didn't want to be stuck here.
"So, when can I leave?"
Annabeth shrugged, "I mean… it depends. Some campers only stay during the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force."
I stared at her. What.
How could either of those have weak children? Aphrodite was love and blood lust, a terrifying force that had brought Gods to Their knees. One could even argue she was a Titan. And Demeter was one of the Kronides . She ruled agriculture and basically plants as a whole. She'd nearly ended the world for Her daughter before.
"So they–"
"Hang on."
Annabeth looked at me.
"What do you mean that Demeter and Aphrodite kids aren't powerful? Demeter literally killed the Earth when Persephone was taken and Aphrodite was the cause of a like… twenty-year war."
Annabeth winced, "It's just– their kids aren't usually big fighters and aren't very strong. And if you're not strong then monsters tend to ignore you. It's pretty rare that Aphrodite or Demeter kids have to deal with monster attacks, so they can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the time."
I furrowed my brow, trying to match that up to the myths.
"Some of us though… it's too dangerous. We can't leave without getting attacked."
My lips pursed as I thought about my lessons on the protections children had.
There were several factors involved. One was knowledge, the reason Triton kept certain info from me. If you looked into the divine world, there was a strong chance it would look back. But that wasn't the strongest protection, terrors could still run into you, could still target you, they just weren't likely to be drawn to you.
There was also power-level. The more powerful you were the more noticeable your presence. Triton said it was like a current, the stronger you were the stronger a current you had, one pulling things towards you, or even forcing them down. It didn't just mean like… physical power, but whatever your kind of power was. I knew that some of the greater oracles in the sea had a presence that could force people to their knees.
But then there was guardianship.
Maybe it wasn't that they had low power levels, but that they had proper guardianship? I knew that guardianship was considered one of the most important factors for protection. As long as their guardian, the one who provided for them and cared for them, saw them as someone they protected then they would have a form of protection that wouldn't allow many terrors to target them.
"Monsters will come for those of us with a stronger presence, especially after ten or eleven years old. Some manage to survive out in the world without realizing, many become famous. You'd know their names if I told you them."
I twisted my conch shell charm, "So… terrors…can't get in here?"
Annabeth shook her head. "Not unless let in on purpose."
"Why would anyone do that?"
"To stock the forests, or for a practical joke."
I stared. For practical jokes? This camp was officially insane.
"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out."
"So… you're a year rounder?"
"I've been here since I was seven," she said, pulling out a leather necklace like I'd seen with the campers. Hers had five beads and a gold college ring on it. "Every August, on the last day of the summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most counselors, and most of them are nearing college years."
"Why?" I asked.
"Why what?"
"Why did you come so young?"
"None of your business," she said, twisting the ring on her necklace.
I frowned, thinking on it. Was she here year round because she was in extra danger? Was it because she was particularly powerful? Was it because her family…
I wondered what powers a child of Athena could have. I didn't think they could quite match Demeter's, at least in term of raw destructive power. Demeter created winter when Her daughter went missing.
That was kinda hard to top.
Did that mean she couldn't leave? Because she was in so much danger?
"So, could I just walk out? Right now?"
"It would be suicide, but if you had permission from Mr. D or Khiron you could. They won't give permission till the end of the summer session though, unless…"
"Unless?"
"You would need a quest. But that hasn't happened since…"
She trailed off, but it was obvious that the last quest hadn't gone well. Was a quest the only way out? The only way to go find my mom? In that case… I'd probably have to find out more about what was stolen from Hades.
"Back in the sick room, when you were feeding me that stuff, ambrosia? You asked me something about the summer solstice."
She tensed, "So you do know something?"
I chewed my lip. "Not really. But… I heard Grover and Khiron talking about it while I was at school. They said there wasn't much time because of the deadline."
She clenched her fists. "I wish I knew what that's about. Khiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me! Something is wrong, last time I was there everything seemed fine."
"You were at Mt. Olympus?"
"Yeah, for the Winter Solstice. The camp does a trip there every two or three years."
"Where is Mt. Olympus?"
She stared at me like I should know this, "Empire State Building, special elevator, the six-hundredth floor? You are a New Yorker, right?"
"Yep, didn't see the orientation video."
She coughed, cheeks reddening, "Er… right. Well anyways, after we visited the weather got weird. It was like the Gods started fighting."
My mouth dried, I knew what she was talking about. I'd been in the ocean when that happened, and only made it safely to shore thanks to Triton.
"I've overheard the satyrs talking a few times since then. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen, and there's a deadline for the summer solstice to return it. Otherwise… otherwise there's going to be trouble."
She looked at me tiredly, "I was hoping when you came… I mean—Athena can get along with just about anybody, except Ares, and Poseidon. But other than those two, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."
I shrugged, "The Erinyes at the museum mentioned something about a theft. I think something got stolen from Hades."
Annabeth straightened, "From Hades? Well… ugh, I've got to get a quest, maybe I can find whatever it is… but Hades…" she shook her head. "What's important is stopping a fight from breaking out. If they would just tell me the problem I'm sure I could help!"
She had a lot of confidence in herself. But the chances of us getting a quest were slim to none. The sea didn't allow it until sixteen veruo had passed. I doubted that land would be much better.
My stomach growling interrupted my thoughts and I noticed the smell of barbecue smoke coming from somewhere. I hadn't eaten in two days and my body was letting me know.
Annabeth waved me off, telling me to go on and she'd see me later.
OO OO OO OO
I slipped into the Hermes cabin once more, rubbing my arms as the feathers brushed over me once more and holding back a sneeze at the taste of incense. It was… uncomfortable.
The cabin was loud, everyone talking and laughing and joking around. I could pick out likely siblings looking at them, but it wasn't very easy. They all looked very different, most different races even. Some seemed to share a smile, a shape to their eyebrows, but I wasn't certain that was a family sign.
Thankfully none of them paid me any attention as I settled into my spot on the floor, my bags settling on my lap.
I fingered my waterskin, exhaustion settling over me. I wanted to sleep.
Luke, the counselor, came over. His nose was sharp, his eyes a brilliant blue, and his eyebrows had that same upturned look. His face held a scar, cutting from just below his eye to the bottom of his cheek, but his smile was just as mischievous as the rest of the kids.
Shifting sands drifted over my skin, making me tilt my head in confusion.
"Found you a sleeping bag," he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."
That was helpful, I didn't have nearly enough toiletries to last. "Thanks."
"No prob." Luke sat next to me, pushing his back against the wall. "Tough first day?"
I shuffled, settling my chin on the top of my bag.
"I guess… everything kinda hurts, and I'm tired…"
"I'll see if I can find you some Advil. Other than that? Adjusting well?"
I shrugged.
"It's alright if you aren't, all of us start a bit rough. It doesn't get much easier even when you adjust."
I tilted my head at the bitterness in his voice, fingering my bracelet. "Your dad is Hermes, right?"
He pulled out a switchblade and I went still, the lid of my waterskin twitching. "Yeah. Hermes."
"The God of messengers and thieves." I mumbled, my eyes locked on the switchblade he was using to scrape the mud off his sandals.
"That's him alright. Messengers, travelers, merchants, thieves, anyone that uses roads really. It's why you're here, enjoying our hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors."
I didn't respond to that, wondering if he meant to imply I was unimportant. I didn't really like this cabin, or the camp. The electricity was… itchy, and the tickling feathers definitely didn't help. The low level burn over my skin made me wanna claw my skin off.
"Don't worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they're mostly good people. We're extended family after all. We take care of each other."
I wasn't really, I was much more extended.
This camp wasn't for me. It was a camp for the land, I was from the ocean . I just wanted to go back to the sea, back to Triton. I wanted my mom to hug me and shoo me outside, to offer me candy. I wanted home.
But I couldn't go home, I was stuck here. I needed to figure out how to survive here, until I could go home. And that meant understanding what people were talking about.
"Hey… Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Clarisse, from Ares, she made a comment about 'Big Three' material? And Annabeth mentioned twice how she thought I might be 'the one'. She mentioned an Oracle? What… what is all that?"
"I hate prophecies."
Mood but, "What?"
His expression twisted, "Ever since my quest to the Garden of the Hesperides–well, it was a disaster. And it screwed everything up for everyone. Khiron won't allow anymore quests, and Annabeth is dying to go out. She pestered Khiron so much that he told her that he got her fate, and she wasn't to go on a quest until someone special came to camp."
I blinked, "Someone special? That's vague."
"Don't worry about it, kid," He patted my shoulder, "Annabeth thinks every new person is the one. She really wants to get out of the camp. Now come on, it's dinnertime."
Immediately after he said that, a conch shell blew in the distance. It was a like being home, with Triton teaching me how to blow a conch shell and laughing as I failed. At least until the taste of incense reminded me where I was.
Luke had a really good sense of time to know that though, wow.
Luke yelled, "Eleven, fall in!"
The whole cabin, a bit over thirty of us, filed into the commons yard. We were lined up in order of seniority, so I was dead last.
The other cabins were gathering too, except the four empty ones.
Once we were all together, Luke led us up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined from the meadow, a few Naiads from the lake, and a host of nymphs from the forest.
There were around a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted nymphs and naiads.
The pavilion had torches blazing on the marble columns and a fire burning in the center in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each table was covered in a white cloth trimmed in purple.
Each cabin had their own table, which seemed to resize to fit everyone, even if it was a bit of a tight fit.
The satyrs were sitting up front, or at a table with two curly haired boys. Grover was with Lord D, Khiron standing off to the side.
Annabeth was at a table with six other serious looking kids, all with blond hair and gray eyes though varied in appearance otherwise. Clarisse was at a table with a few more kids than Annabeth's, looking relaxed.
Khiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, raising his glass as everyone fell silent. "To the Gods!"
Everyone raised their glasses and called out as well, "To the Gods!"
Nymphs came forward carrying food: barbecue, grapes, strawberries, apples, cheese, and fresh bread. A few held plates, bringing them to specific campers. One brought a plate with fish, fruits and bread to a girl in a hijab.
My mouth watered, I was starving and it all looked amazing.
It was also pleasant here, wrapped in warmth and home and leaving all the other sensations dulled. The only thing I could really feel was the buzzing of the cup in front of me.
"Speak to it," Luke said, motioning to the glass. "You can have any drink you want—nonalcoholic, of course."
"Cherry Coke." I said, watching as the glass filled with the sparkling caramel liquid. The hum rose for a brief moment, before settling again.
I tilted my head, "Blue Cherry Coke." The hum spiked as the drink turned a violent shade of blue. I grinned.
I took a sip, it tasted perfect.
I drank a toast to my mom. She wasn't gone, she was taken. One way or another, I'd get her back.
"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.
I loaded my plate with some barbecue, strawberries, cheese, and bread, and was ready to dig in when I noticed everyone bringing their plates to the fire in the center.
I stared in confusion.
"Come on," Luke told me.
He led me over, and I realized that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping in the best portion.
Luke murmured in my ear, "Burnt offerings, for the Gods. They like the smell."
… Land Gods were weird, in the ocean offerings were done with devotional actions or by placing items out for the most part.
Then again, there were many fires lit in the ocean.
Luke approached first and tossed in a cluster of red grapes with a muttered Hermes, "Hermes." He paused by the fire, dropping in a piece of bread as well though he said nothing with it.
I paused by the fire as well, not even having to think about the offering I was doing. It wasn't the norm in the sea, but I assumed They'd like it.
Please stay safe Triton, and if you have a chance maybe give me some advice? I'm really confused right now. After a moment's hesitation I shoved in a bit more brisket. Thanks Tethys-ran and Okeanus-ari for helping me when I was hurt.
I tossed in a piece of bread as well, adding a message for one more Deity. Please stop encouraging the animals to fight, Mr. Pit Voice. It's not very nice.
I moved back to my seat, smelling chocolate and brownies and sweet tuna.
The dinner was delicious, I made sandwiches with the bread and cheese and barbecue. And the drink was just perfect, though without the soothing effect sodas normally had.
Khiron pounded his hoof once everyone was finished, and then turned to Lord D.
Lord D rose with a sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd best say hello to you brats. Well, hello. There. Our activities director says that the next Capture the Flag is Friday. Cabin five holds the laurels."
The Ares table cheered.
"Personally," Lord D continued, ignoring the cheers, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations I suppose. Arts and Crafts is finishing up the sundials, don't forget to do the suncatchers. Sign-ups to start gathering flowers are up, Demeter cabin is running it. Make sure to help out with the wreath making and we still need volunteers to make the honey cakes. Also, I'm supposed to tell you we have a new camper today, Percy Jackson or something. Hurrah and all that. Now run to that campfire thing you like, and throw in an extra s'more for me."
Everyone cheered, and the campers scrambled up and headed down to the amphitheater where the Apollo cabin led a sing-along.
Later, after we'd finished the singing and the s'mores and headed back to the cabins, I collapsed in the borrowed sleeping back. It was soft and fluffy, much more comfortable than I'd expected. My bags were tucked close and my waterskin was in hand.
Camp wasn't too bad, but I didn't think it was right for me.
I slipped asleep quickly, my dreams uneasy and blurred. Lightning struck the ground and storms raged, the Earth shaking as gold eyes watched me with a cold gaze.
The loom is set, the threads ready to be woven. Your Fate is in your hands now, little half-blood.