Seeing that summer didn't technically start until the next day, the camp still had dismal numbers as Tantalus was making his nightly announcements, not that anyone was really paying attention to what he had to say. Cressida was having a fair bit of fun sitting with Tyson though, teaching the cyclops about the magic plates and cups and introducing him to some of her favourite foods, but he still liked her grapes best oddly enough. Percy was glad that both of them had such big smiles on their faces.
Smiles that fell when Tantalus announced changes to the camp.
"We are reinstituting the chariot races!" he proclaimed and the camp broke out in discord, some people excited, some fearful, some in disbelief. "Now I know," he continued as he raised his voice, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems."
"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," someone called from the Apollo table called.
"Yes, yes!" Tantalus said. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days' time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"
"But, Sir!" Clarise said as she stood to speak. "What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots-"
"Ah, the hero of the day," Tantalus exclaimed. "Brave Clarisse, who single-handed bested the bronze bulls!"
Clarisse blinked, then blushed. "Um, I didn't –"
She was cut off by a loud bang where Cressida had accidentally dropped her plate on the ground, the dish clean of food but still loud enough to bring attention to her.
"Your mistake, Tantalus," she said with a smile as she reached down to get the plate and the activities director's lips hardened into a thin line.
"Who bested the bronze bulls with the aid of Miss Lynn," he corrected venomously, a few people in the crowd smirking.
"But this is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?" the director said as he grinned again. "But now, before we proceed, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring that here," he said as he pointed to where Tyson was sitting.
"Now, of course," he said, "Cyclopes have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks, but surely one of you has a suggestion of where the beast should be kennelled -"
"How about we hunt down the actual prisoner and beast in this camp?" Cressida suggested as she stood on top of her table, a few Ares campers grunting in support, not for Tyson but in support of teaching their new activities director a lesson. "You wouldn't have a camp to reinstate chariot races that will kill us all if it wasn't for him. And a lot of your sorry asses would be trampled by those bulls if it wasn't for Tyson. So, if you don't -"
"That's quite enough, Miss Lynn."
"I wasn't done speaking," Cressida snapped, her eyes flaming purple as the bronze braziers sparked and a few of the Hermes campers shied away from her as she stepped down from the table. "Don't ever interrupt me again,' she said as she took slow steps towards Tantalus who nervously swallowed. Percy and Annabeth were enjoying the show though, knowing that while yes, she was angry that her friend and someone disadvantaged was being insulted and targeted, but also she was the daughter of the god of theatre and she couldn't help being dramatic sometimes. "Because until my father says otherwise, you are a spirit no longer, and a spirit no longer means that I can make you do whatever I want. So, what must you never do again, sir?"
"My Lord -"
"My daughter asked you a question, old fellow," Dionysus said, and Percy almost took back every bad thought he ever had about the god - almost.
"I will -"
The entire hall gasping cut his words off as they turned to where Tyson stood. A brilliant green light shone above his head as a dazzling image of a glowing green trident appeared above his head.
But what happened next broke Cressida's heart and reminded her why she once hated everyone in this camp - people were just downright mean.
When Percy had been claimed, everyone knelt, now they followed Tantalus' lead as he roared with laughter. "Well! I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!"
And everyone except Annabeth, Cressida and a few of Percy's other friends laughed but thankfully Tyson seemed to notice as he was too busy trying to catch the trident now faded over his head.
Looks like Percy was getting a new cabin mate.