The morning sun cast a warm glow over Camp Half-Blood, as the sound of laughter and training echoed through the air. I stood near the edge of the arena, watching as a group of demigods sparred with their celestial bronze weapons. Their movements were fluid and graceful, a testament to their training and heritage. As I observed, my attention was caught by a familiar voice calling out from behind me. "Hey! Haven't you seen since last summer! How you been?" called Percy Jackson, the legendary Son of Poseidon. He walked over with his signature mischievous grin, his sea-green eyes sparkling with excitement. "You ready for some action?"
I grinned. "Hi, Percy!" In case you're wondering who I am, my name is Ryan Colins. I'm 17 years old, and I live at Camp Half-Blood, even though I'm unclaimed still, which most campers found weird. In fact, all of them except for Percy, his girlfriend Annabeth, and the teacher Chiron avoid me.
But I don't really care about all that, because Percy is one of the best friends a screw-up like me could ever have.
"So, have you been claimed yet, Ry?" Percy asked me. I shook my head. "Sorry Perc. no news yet."
He shrugged. "Well, I'm sure it'll happen soon. You're a great guy and all. You know, it's just a matter of time. Anyway, we were just about to start a game of Capture the Flag. Wanna join in?"
I grinned. "Sure, why not? Lead the way, Perc!"
Together, we jogged over to where the rest of the group was gathering. Annabeth Chase, Percy's girlfriend and the Daughter of Athena, gave me a warm smile as I approached. "Hey, Ryan," she said, "I was just about to ask Percy when he was going to bring you along."
"Oh, you know," Percy said with a shrug, "I wanted to make sure he was up for it."
"Well, he's here now, aren't you, Ryan?" Annabeth teased, nudging me playfully.
"Oh, you know me," I replied with a grin, returning the favor. "I can't resist a good game of Capture the Flag."
The group split up into two teams: the Blue Team, led by Annabeth, and the Red Team, led by Percy. I found myself standing next to Jason Grace, the Son of Jupiter, as Percy shouted out the rules. "Alright, you guys know the drill. Blue team, defend the flag at the center of the field. Red team, your job is to capture it and bring it back to your side. No weapons allowed, except for your natural abilities. Got it?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. "On my mark, three, two, one, GO!" Percy yelled. The game began with a flurry of activity as demigods sprinted across the field, dodging and weaving between their teammates. I glanced over at Jason, who was already moving with the grace of an athlete. "So, how's training been going for you?" I asked him, trying to make conversation.
"Oh, it's been tough, but rewarding," he replied with a smile. "My father's been teaching me a lot about strategy and leadership. It's definitely come in handy here."
I slightly flinched, before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, Chiron's been teaching me a lot about nature and survival skills. It's not quite the same, but it's still pretty cool."
The reason why I flinched is because Jason mentioned his dad. You see, when I was young, I basically had nobody except my stepmom, but she was pretty mean. So, just like Annabeth, I ran away until I reached Camp Half-Blood, and well, her I am now!
Anyway, I didn't want Jason to feel bad about my situation, so I changed the subject. "Hey, have you seen the new monsters in Tartarus?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"You mean the Titans?" Jason replied, his eyes lighting up. "Yeah, I've seen them. They're massive! It's going to be a tough fight when the time comes."
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I heard they're pretty powerful. But I'm sure we'll be ready. We've got you and Annabeth, and the other demigods who've been training hard. We'll put an end to their reign of terror, just like our parents did before us."
