Chapter Text
It took me a while to regain my bearings. One moment I was in a club in London, and the next I was in some camp in New York.
It looked like your typical cafeteria room, except it had no walls and displayed the sea outside. Torches were placed on the outer Greek columns, which was pretty cool architecture for a camp. There was some sort of fire pit in the center of the room, where several campers scraped food off their plates into it and smoke billowed out. Around me, all these kids had on bright orange t-shirts that read Camp Half-Blood. They were separated at different tables, like how school cliques usually were. I wasn't shy, but I felt out of place.
Jack mumbled multiple apologies to one of the campers, where he crushed his elbow into their plate of mashed potatoes. Equally, I said sorry to the Pepperoni Pizza Guy who gave the death glare but didn't say anything.
The girl across from me helped yank me off. She had sun-streaked blonde hair and huge brown eyes. She wore a black leather jacket over her t-shirt paired with jeans and combat boots, like she was stuck in some sort of punk phase.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Uh," I said intelligently. "Andy."
"I'm Amy, daughter of Apollo." She looked expectant.
I wasn't sure if that was supposed to mean something, and my brain was scrambling to find out any connection. All I could think of was space, but she didn't seem like the type to be interested in NASA. "I'm the son of Lesley."
Her mouth twitched. Before I could continue looking stupid in front of her, Jack pulled me by the arm. "We need to visit Chiron."
"Chiron? Could we get some food first?"
"Andy." Jack wasn't usually so serious, so I managed to give a nod to Amy before heading outside of the pavilion. I noticed on our way out that the mess hall was structured on top of a hill. I wondered what this camp even did, though my curiosity was short-lived with the sober reminder of today's earlier events. I had no idea how to explain this to my mum or how to get back to school the next day. My mum was the down-to-earth and practical type. She'd never believe in gryphons or gods.
Jack and I treaded across the greenery. It was already dark outside, the faint noise of campers at the pavilion which made my chest squeeze. Somehow I felt lonely. We ended up in front of some house with a porch and two large panelled windows. It was painted lavender and sky-blue, like someone couldn't make up their mind. Jack knocked on the door. Eventually there was the sound of clip-clop before a man appeared, though he wasn't exactly... human. Where his lower torso should be, was a white stallion's body.
Embarrassingly, I almost yelled in fright, because horses sort of freaked me out.
"Andy, meet Chiron," Jack said, "the trainer of heroes and demigods." He seemed a little on edge, like a monster would emerge from behind.
"I rather like that title, thank you, Mr Duff." Chiron sounded pleased. "And you must be Andrew Fowler, welcome."
"Hello, Sir," I said. I never called anyone 'Sir' but it seemed like the occasion. Chiron wore a frayed brown tweed jacket and had brown hair and a scruffy beard. He looked like he would fit in at Oxford, discussing Chaucer and Keats.
Chiron smiled. "I know it must be frightening for you, but you will be safe here at Camp Half-Blood."
"Safe?" I said. "Why can't I be safe at home?"
"Mr Fowler, I'm afraid that this is your new home. And Mr Duff, you can relax. Mr D. is inside, planning another game of pinochle."
"Mr D.?" I managed.
"Yes, Mr D. is the camp director of Camp Half-Blood." Chiron nodded toward Jack. "It's been a long day, and I advise sleep is in order for recovery. Goodnight to the both of you, we will talk in the morning. Mr Fowler, I will have many answers for you the next day. Get some rest."
Even though Chiron acted understanding, I was still left with newfound questions. Who was Mr D., and what was with these weird names like Apollo? I wish I learned more about Greek mythology, but the only books I read were Harry Potter. All I knew was that I was stuck at some camp for my protection and was a demigod. I prayed it all to be a dream, but I had the sinking feeling that this was my new reality.
"I should call my mum," I said aloud. "At least tell her I'm at your house or something."
"We can do it in the morning." Jack yawned, directing me across the camp. He forgoed the shoes and revealed furry legs and hooves, which explained his knee condition. Satyr—half goat, he explained. "You'll have to be put at Cabin 11."
"Eleven?"
"Yeah, the Hermes cabin."
We stopped in front of an old-looking cabin with chipping brown paint. It didn't look as nice compared to the others. The golden letter 11 was etched on the front of the door along with two snakes entwining a staff with wings on top. I never saw the symbol before in my life, though the name came to me instantly—caduceus.
Jack gave a tentative knock, then sidestepped just in time for a shoe to fly out the cabin.
"Password?" One of the voices yelled.
Jack grimaced. "I keep forgetting how annoying they can be."
"Uh, Jack. You're in this cabin too, right?"
Jack shook his head. "Sorry. I'll see you in the morning, 'kay?" He added as an afterthought, like a parent would say, "It's nice to meet new people."
I tried to hold it out. I didn't want to appear whiny, even though I sort of wanted someone to comfort me.
I stepped into the cabin. There were about twelve other kids. There were bunk beds and wooden plank floors that creaked. It was incredibly overcrowded, where I could step to one side and knock into the table or nightstand. I tried to tell myself that it was like Boy Scouts, when I went camping. Even though it was short-lived when a snake somehow entered the grounds. I didn't remember much, being seven, but they told me I somehow warded it away by speaking to it.
"You can sleep there." One of the campers stepped forward, looking like the eldest. She had long black hair and a crooked smile.
I nodded my head. "Thanks."
"You a Hermes kid?" One of them asked—it was a kid around my age with sandy blonde hair.
"I don't know."
"No way!" One of them said, "You're too old to be unclaimed."
"Max." The girl shot a warning look.
"I thought Percy made the gods swear that children would be claimed before—" One began.
"Hey, don't make the kid feel bad," Another cut in.
I felt my face get warm. Too old. Unclaimed. It wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
The girl rolled her eyes, like she was used to them. "Look. Keep to yourself, if you have anything valuable, hide it away safely," she instructed in a low voice to me.
At this point I wondered why Jack put me in a cabin full of kleptomaniacs. I wanted to get angry. Not just at him, but at the world.
It took me a while to get to sleep, but I finally closed my eyes and drifted away.
I woke up to the sound of giggling. I opened my eyes and let out an expletive when I saw two identical twins stare at me. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"You're up," one of them said cheerfully. "It's breakfast."
"You must be starving," the other one said. "We could hear your stomach from our bunk."
I was hungry. I sat up. "So, what exactly is Hermes?" I asked. I guessed it wasn't named after the French luxury brand.
"Do you know anything?"
"Uh. Not really. I don't like reading, I'm dyslexic," I said.
"Max and Harvey, quit bugging them." The same girl from last night approached me. Her hair was braided back and she carried a scroll in one hand. I noticed how the twins easily backed off. "Come with me, I'll give you a tour."
"I'm actually waiting for Jack—"
"The satyr? Yeah, he'll be up later," she said dismissively. "He usually sleeps until noon. And given his mission yesterday, it's wise to leave him be. C'mon."
I followed her obediently. I didn't get a chance to brush my teeth or anything, and I felt like I needed a wash. She didn't seem to be put-off by my smell, but I knew it resembled sweat and monster guts.
"Good news already," she said as she briskly walked. For someone so short, I had to pace myself quicker. "You're not a kid of Hermes or Ares. They would've pummeled the Mills twins to the ground."
"Hermes and Ares?" I asked. I hated feeling clueless.
"Listen, kid. You're a demigod. Greek mythology. You belong here."
"I don't even believe in that stuff. I'm not even religious," I protest. "Is this a cult?"
She gave a nervous look. "Andy—that's your name, right?"
"Yeah."
"It's difficult. Gods don't usually pay attention to their children. Even though Percy—he was a camper, just like you. One of the greatest heroes of all time." She sighed a bit wistfully.
"Is he dead?"
"No! Gods, no. He's with his girlfriend Annabeth in Rome. Anyway, he made the gods and goddesses promise to claim their children by the age of thirteen."
"How come my parent hasn't claimed me yet?"
"If you begin to know who you truly are, it attracts monsters. It's a good thing that it happened now rather than when you were younger. When people say you're not normal, it's... well, true. We see the world as it truly is, and we train to fight monsters." She smacked her forehead like she realized something. "I didn't even introduce myself! I'm Nadya Singh. You've met Max and Harvey Mills back there. Then we have Jake, Brooklyn, Riley, Josh, and Billy..." She listed off on her fingers more names, then made a face. "It sucks being the only girl. I feel like Wendy and the Lost Boys."
Then Nadya showed me the amphitheatre, archery grounds, stables, strawberry fields, and the toilets. The only thing that made me remotely excited was the amphitheatre. I always liked music and was kind of a theatre nerd. "Is there a concert band or something?" I asked.
She gave a critical look. "Not if you count the satyrs and their reed pipes. Plus no one's exactly in the festive mood, given what's happening." As if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance.
"What's up with the weather?" I asked.
"Warnings of the Olympians from above. You can tell something's wrong. It probably has something to do with the prophecy." She lowered her voice near the end.
Great. A mysterious prophecy. I wished I arrived at a better time, if there was such a thing. "So this camp is essentially for demigods," I said. "To train, protect..."
"Right. The borders are magical, so monsters can't get in. And the cabins are arranged according to our godly parent."
I shook my head. "I never knew my father."
"Andy. Your father does care for you. Even though gods can be forgetful or leave, when a mortal attracts their attention, it's seen as a privilege."
To me, it sounded like these gods were the cause of broken families. They didn't even help with monsters or protection. Their kids were left to fight monsters and fought for their lives.
She said something in Greek. I was surprised I understood it. "Sorry," she said. "But here comes the Ares cabin. Absolute rakshasas in my opinion."
I looked. There was a cluster of the biggest, bulkiest people ever. They all sported camo jackets and some even held spears in their hands. I didn't want to mess with them. They were heading our way. For a moment I stared in terror like they were the legion of death. Then I noticed that all of them wore hot pink flip flops, which sort of ruined the intimidating appearance.
"Nadya!" One of the girls growled. "Tell Max and Harvey to lay off or they will get it."
"What's wrong?" Nadya asked innocently.
"Someone switched our shoes for these!" One of the guys said, lifting his foot up to demonstrate. He wasn't that balanced, so he nearly teetered to his left, causing one of his cabinmates to steady him.
"Well, I have nothing to do with it," Nadya said. Her smirk read the opposite.
"Argh!" One of the girls pointed her spear forward as a threat. "Your cabin is so going to get it at capture the flag!"
"Bring it."
"Who's this shrimp?" The cabin directed their attention on me.
"Uh, I'm Andy Fowler," I said.
"Ugh, just what we need, another brat," the ringleader said.
After the nice exchange, the Ares cabin left. One guy tripped and face planted into the dirt before carrying himself up and walking again.
"Seriously," I said. "Do they practice that?"
"Yeah. They're idiots. For children being the god of war, they think violence is the answer. It's brawn over brain with them, even though most of the time, brains win."
"So Hermes is, like, the smart cabin?"
"Nah, that's Athena. She's the goddess of wisdom and strategy. Hermes is more like... trickery. Travelling. Thievery. Usually it's where the unclaimed demigods go because he doesn't mind anyone."
"He sounds great."
"Yeah. If any luck, you'd be in it with me. You're not so bad."
"Thanks?" My stomach grumbled and I reddened.
"At the sound of that, we really should get food."
The mess hall pavilion was probably one of my favourite places. Sitting with my current cabinmates, they were all talkative and easygoing. There was a mischievous look about them, like you couldn't completely trust or take them seriously, but they were all close. If I grew up with siblings, they'd fit the description.
Nadya formally introduced me to them all. The twins sat across from me. I sat between Nadya and Brooklyn.
The food was delivered by the spirit nymphs on silver platters. The goblet in front of me was empty, but Nadya told me I could request for any non-alcoholic drink. I asked for Coca-Cola, and the dark fizzy liquid appeared. I noticed some of the tables were empty.
Brooklyn seemed like a good kid, usually joking around. With sandy brown hair and an upward smile, he looked sincere and answered my questions as best he could. Camp Half-Blood was disguised as a strawberry farm, he explained. Mortals couldn't see its true form because of the Mist.
It would've been a good morning, but then something happened. As I stood up, I accidentally knocked into a person. Before I could apologize, I noticed it was an Ares kid.
"Watch it, punk!"
"Sorry," I managed.
"I think Newbie here needs to be taught a lesson," One of the kids beside the hulking guy said.
"Hey," Nadya stepped forward. "Lay off, Miles."
"Stay out of this, Cattle Brain."
Nadya pursed her lips.
"It's okay," I told her. I couldn't act like I was defenseless. I had to earn my rep, fight my own battles.
The Ares kids chortled, and one of them shoved me. With everyone watching, I knew I had to act cool.
"Hey, look," I said. "No harm. It was an accident."
"I'll give you an accident," Miles sneered. Then he threw a left hook. It left me wheeling back, because I had never been punched in the face before. The Ares cabin gave mean, ugly laughs, while Nadya gasped in alarm.
"Alright, alright, that's enough entertainment for this morning." A man in a Hawaiian leopard-print shirt sauntered over. "Anderson Faulkner is new here, and as tempting as it is to greet him, physical contact is not allowed in the Dining Pavilion. Take it in the training arena if you wish." The Ares cabin grumbled, but dispersed.
I was too shocked to register what just happened, much less correct the Leopard Guy about my name.
Nadya waited patiently back with a sympathetic look. "You good?"
"Other than the black eye, yeah," I winced.
"I'm surprised Dionysus stepped in. He enjoys giving demigods a hard time."
"Dionysus?" I wondered if she sneezed.
"Sorry, I meant Mr D.," Nadya corrected. "Let's go get some ice. Hopefully we'll avoid the Ares cabin. It's a good thing you didn't embarrass them, but you might be their new favourite punching bag."