ONCE Y/N REALISED he was, in fact, completely sane, they embarked on a delightful tour of the camp.
As he passed by the volleyball pit several campers exchanged knowing glances. Some of them pointed to the Minotaur horn Percy was carrying and murmured, "That's him." Most of the campers were older than Percy and Y/N, and their satyr friends, taller than Jeremy, trotted around in vibrant orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with their shaggy hindquarters on display.
Glancing back at the farmhouse, Y/N realized just how big it was. It soared four stories high, with a sky-blue façade adorned with white trim, resembling an upscale seaside resort. While he was admiring the brass eagle weathervane on the rooftop, something in the uppermost window of the attic gable caught his attention. The curtain had shifted for just a brief moment, but it left him with a distinct feeling of being watched.
Percy seemed to notice as well. "What's up there?" Chiron turned to where Percy was pointing, and his smile faded.
"Just the attic," he replied, his voice taking on a tense note.
"Does someone live there?" he pressed, still intrigued.
"No," Chiron stated firmly. "Not a single living thing." Although Y/N sensed he was being truthful, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had indeed moved that curtain. Chiron, with a now slightly forced light hearted tone, said, "Come along now, there's much more to see."
They strolled through the strawberry fields, where campers busily harvested baskets of berries while a satyr played a melody on a reed pipe. Chiron informed him that the camp cultivated a bountiful crop for New York restaurants and Mount Olympus, covering their expenses. "The strawberries require minimal effort," he explained. He mentioned that Mr. D had an unusual effect on fruit-bearing plants, causing them to flourish.
Percy seemed lost in thought as he walked. "Do you think Grover will get into too much trouble?" he asked Chiron. "I mean, he was a great protector, really."
Chiron sighed and removed his tweed jacket, draping it over his horse's back like a saddle. "Grover has ambitious dreams, Percy, perhaps even beyond reason. To achieve his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper, and safely escorting them to Half-Blood Hill, much like Jeremy did with Y/N."
"But he did that!" Percy insisted.
"I may agree with you," Chiron replied, "but it's not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they may not view this assignment as a success. Grover lost you in New York, and then there's the... unfortunate... fate of your mother and the fact that Grover was unconscious when you brought him across the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."
"Will he at least get a second chance?" Percy pleaded.
Chiron winced. "I'm afraid that was Grover's second chance, Percy. The council wasn't eager to grant him another, especially after what happened the first time, five years ago. I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age..."
"How old is he?" Y/N asked, puzzled.
"Twenty-eight," Chiron responded matter-of-factly. "Jeremy as well."
"What! And they're in sixth grade?" Percy exclaimed.
"Satyrs mature at half the rate of humans, Percy. Grover and Jeremy have been the equivalent of middle school students for the past six years," Chiron explained.
"That sounds horrible," Y/N muttered.
"Indeed," Chiron agreed. "In any case, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet highly skilled in woodland magic. Sadly, he was eager to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will consider an alternative career..."
"That's not fair," Y/N said. "What happened the first time? Was it really that bad?" Chiron averted his gaze quickly.
"Shall we continue our tour?" Chiron redirected. His tone was firm. Y/N glanced at Percy, who appeared deep in thought.
"Chiron," Percy began, "if the gods and Olympus are real... does that mean the Underworld is real too?"
Chiron's expression darkened. "Yes, child." He paused, as if carefully selecting his words. "There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now, until we know more, I would advise you to put that out of your mind."
"What do you mean, 'until we know more'?" Y/N raised an eyebrow.
"Come, Percy, Y/N." Chiron smiled thinly. "Let's explore the woods."
.
.
.
As they approached, Y/N realized just how massive the forest was, covering at least a quarter of the valley, with towering trees too thick to wrap yourself around them
"The woods are open to exploration, if you're willing, but proceed armed," Chiron advised.
"Explore for what?" Y/N asked. "Armed with what?"
"You'll see." Chiron dismissed the question. "Capture the flag is on Friday night. Do both of you have your own swords and shields?"
"Our own..?" Percy began.
"No," Chiron interrupted. "I suppose you don't. I'll visit the armoury later."
The tour continued, with everything they had to offer on display. They encountered the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to like very much), the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheatre, and the arena where Chiron mentioned they held sword and spear contests.
"Sword and spear contests?" Percy questioned.
"Cabin challenges and more," Chiron explained. "Non-lethal. Usually. Oh, yes, and there's the mess hall." Chiron pointed to an open pavilion with white Grecian columns, situated on a hill overlooking the sea. It housed a dozen stone picnic tables without a roof or walls.
"What do you do when it rains?" Y/N inquired. Chiron looked at him as though he'd said something weird.
"We still need to eat, don't we?" Chiron said.
Finally, he them to the cabins. There were twelve cabins nestled in the woods by the lake, arranged in a U shape with two at the base and five in a row on each side. Each cabin had a large brass number above the door, with odd numbers on the left and even numbers on the right. However, apart from the numbered doors, they looked nothing alike.
Number nine had smokestacks, resembling a tiny factory. Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof covered in actual grass. Cabin seven appeared to be made of solid gold, gleaming so brightly in the sunlight that it was nearly blinding. They all faced a common area about the size of a soccer field, adorned with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops. In the centre of the field was a large stone-lined firepit.
Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth was smouldering. A girl about nine years old tended to the fire, prodding the coals with a stick. She looked in Y/N's direction, and a small smile graced her face. She offered a gentle wave, and Y/N returned one. He would have to talk to her later.
The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, resembled his-and-hers mausoleums, each a large white marble structure with imposing columns. Cabin one was the largest and bulkiest of the twelve, its polished bronze doors shimmering like a hologram, giving the impression of lightning bolts streaking across them from various angles.
Cabin two, on the other hand, exuded a certain grace, with slimmer columns adorned with pomegranates and flowers. Its walls were adorned with carvings of peacocks.
"Zeus and Hera?" Y/N guessed.
"Correct," Chiron affirmed.
"Their cabins are empty," Percy observed, gazing up at the numbers above the doors.
"Indeed, several of the cabins are unoccupied," Chiron replied. "No one ever stays in one or two."
They halted in front of the first cabin on the left, number three. It was not as grand as cabin one, but it was long and sturdy. Its exterior walls were constructed from rough grey stone embedded with fragments of seashells and coral, as if the slabs had been carved directly from the ocean floor. Percy seemed strangely drawn to it, peeking inside the open doorway.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that!" Chiron exclaimed, pulling Percy away from the entrance. "Shall we move on?" Most of the other cabins were bustling with campers, and number five, in particular, drew Y/N's attention. It was a vivid red, with a rather aggressive paint job that appeared to have been applied with enthusiasm and energy. The roof was lined with barbed wire, and a stuffed wild boar's head loomed over the doorway. Peering inside, Y/N saw a group of belligerent-looking kids, both boys and girls, engaged in arm wrestling and heated arguments while loud rock music blared.
The most vocal among them was a girl around thirteen or fourteen, who wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt beneath a camouflage jacket. She honed in on Y/N and offered an evil sneer. Y/N quickly moved on, keeping a safe distance from Chiron's hooves.
"We haven't seen any other centaurs," He observed.
"No," Chiron replied sadly. "My kin are a wild and uncivilized people, I'm afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness or at major sporting events, but you won't find any here."
"You said your name was Chiron," Percy began. "Are you really..."
Chiron smiled down at him. "The Chiron from the stories? The trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, Percy, that's me."
"But, shouldn't you be dead?" Y/N questioned. Chiron paused, as if intrigued by the question.
"I honestly don't know about 'should be.' The truth is, I cannot be dead. Eons ago, the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved, teaching heroes as long as humanity required my guidance. I gained much from that wish and sacrificed much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume that I am still needed." Chiron smiled.
"Doesn't it ever get boring?" Y/N inquired. "Teaching for three thousand years isn't exactly on my list of top wishes."
"No, never boring," he replied. "At times, it can be terribly disheartening, but never boring."
"Why disheartening?" Percy asked. Chiron turned his gaze away swiftly. He appeared to have difficulty hearing again.
"Oh, look," he said. "Annabeth is waiting for us."
The blond girl was engrossed in a book, sitting in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven. As they approached, she gave Y/N a critical once-over, as if she were still thinking about how much he drooled. Y/N tried to catch a glimpse of the book's title, but to his surprise, the letters weren't in English; they appeared to be Greek. Not just the language, but also Greek imagery with depictions of temples, statues, and various architectural elements.
"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have a masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy and Y/N from here?" She nodded.
"Yes, sir." She said, her voice firm.
"Cabin eleven," Chiron directed Percy and me, gesturing toward the cabin's entrance. "Make yourselves at home."
Out of all the cabins, number eleven looked the most like a typical summer camp cabin, albeit a bit weathered with peeling brown paint. Above the doorway, a familiar symbol caught Y/N's eye, a winged pole with two snakes coiled around it—a caduceus.
Upon entering, he was met with a crowded room, with campers of both genders scattered about. The number of sleeping bags far exceeded the available bunk beds, giving the impression of an emergency shelter. It resembled a gymnasium that had been hastily converted into a Red Cross evacuation center. Chiron remained outside, unable to enter due to his size, but the campers inside had already ceased bowing and were now sizing up Percy and Y/N.
"Well?" Annabeth urged. "Go on."
Percy stumbled through the doorway, while Y/N made a conscious effort to watch his step. Some campers couldn't help but chuckle.
Annabeth introduced us, "Percy Jackson, Y/N, meet cabin eleven."
"Regular or undetermined?" somebody inquired. Y/N felt a bit lost, but Annabeth stepped in to answer.
"Both undetermined," she declared, eliciting a collective groan from the campers.
A slightly older guy approached. "Now, now, campers. That's not how you greet newcomers. Welcome, Percy and Y/N. You guys can have that spot on the floor, right over there."
This guy, who appeared to be around nineteen, exuded a relaxed and friendly vibe. He was tall and muscular, donning an orange tank top, cut offs, sandals, and a leather necklace adorned with five differently coloured clay beads. The only unsettling aspect of his appearance was a prominent white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, resembling an old knife slash.
"This is Luke," Annabeth introduced him, her voice taking on a different tone. Y/N glanced at her and could have sworn there was a hint of a blush. But as soon as she saw him, her expression hardened again. "He's your counsellor for now."
"For now?" Y/N said.
"You're both undetermined," Luke patiently explained. "They don't know which cabin to place you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven is open to all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would, as Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."
Y/N gazed down at the small section of floor. He had no possessions to mark it as his own, no luggage, clothes, or sleeping bag. As he scanned the faces of the campers, Y/n observed a range of expressions: some were sullen and suspicious, some grinned foolishly, and others eyed him as if they were waiting for an opportunity to pick his pockets.
Percy asked, "How long will I be here?"
"Good question," Luke replied. "You'll stay until you're claimed."
"How long will that take?" Y/N inquired. The campers all burst into laughter.
Annabeth then said, "Come on, I'll show you two the volleyball court."
Percy added, "We've already seen it, though."
"Come on," she insisted and grabbed their wrists and leading them outside, leaving the laughter of the cabin eleven kids behind them.
Annabeth turned to them. "Percy, Y/N, you both need to do better than that."
"What's your problem?" Percy retorted. "All I know is, I took down some bull guy-"
"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth interrupted. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"
"Y/N killed a manticore!" Percy protested.
"Which is no small feat at all! But do you know how lucky you are, Percy?" Annabeth responded.
"Lucky!?" Percy exclaimed in disbelief. "I saw my mom die!"
"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" Annabeth yelled back, exasperated.
Percy shook his head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..."
"Yes?" Annabeth prompted.
"Then there's only one."
"Yes."
"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..." Percy seemed confused.
"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die," Annabeth explained.
"Oh, thanks. That clears it up," Percy replied sarcastically.
"They don't have souls, like you and me," Annabeth continued. "You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they reform."
Percy appeared deep in thought. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-"
"The Fur... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad," Annabeth explained.
"Who?" Y/N asked, puzzled by the mention of Percy's math teacher.
"How did you know about that?" Percy demanded.
"You talk in your sleep," Annabeth replied, a small smirk playing on her lips.
"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?" Percy added. He seemed surprisingly knowledgeable about Ancient Greek mythology. Y/N's own knowledge about Greek gods was limited to what he'd read in library books back at the school, and it had been a while.
Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground, as if she expected it to open up and swallow her. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."
Percy sounded whiny, like a kid who'd just been sent to his room. "Is there anything we can say without it thundering? Why do we have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." Percy pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale.
"You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or... your parent." She stared at him, waiting for Percy to grasp the concept.
"My mom is Sally Jackson," Percy said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."
"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad." Annabeth turned to me, cocking an eyebrow expectantly.
"I'm an orphan." Y/N stated glumly. "Never knew my parents."
"I never knew my Dad either." Percy muttered. Annabeth sighed. Clearly, she'd had this conversation before with other kids.
"Your father's not dead, Percy." She said.
"How can you say that? You know him?" Percy spat. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"No, of course not."
"Then how can you say-" Percy was interrupted.
"Because I know you." She exclaimed, annoyed. "You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."
"You don't know anything about me." Percy grumbled.
"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them. Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."
Percy blushed, embarrassed. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign." Annabeth continued. "The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD-you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battle-field reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."
"You sound like... you went through the same thing?" Y/N asked.
Annabeth nodded. "Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, Percy, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."
"Ambrosia and nectar." Y/N repeated, still confused.
"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You guys are half bloods." She crossed her arms, as if signalling there was no other option but to believe her.
A husky voice called out behind the,. "Well! Some newbies!"
I looked over. The big girl from the red cabin was sauntering toward us. She had three other girls behind her, all big and mean looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.
"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"
"Sure, Little Miss Princess," the big girl smirked. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."
''Erre es korakas!" Annabeth said, which Y/N somehow understood was Greek for 'Go to the crows!' though he had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded. "You don't stand a chance."
"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. She turned towards Y/N and Percy. "Who are these little runts?"
"Percy Jackson, Y/N." Annabeth said, "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."
Y/N blinked. "Like... the war god?"
Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?" Y/N shook his head hastily.
"No," I said. "At least I know who the best fighters are." He decided against arguing, instead going for a better strategy. Flattery.
It worked like charm. Clarisse seemed stunned, before her face broke into a sinister smirk. "You got that right, punk." She put her hands on her hips. "You seem like someone who knows their place. I like you, bud." She turned to Percy, grinning evilly. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."
"Percy." He retorted. "I could tell you were a child of Ares anyway. The smell reached me before you did."
Clarisse's face grew redder, and she growled menacingly. "Whatever. Come on, I'll show you. Maybe Y/N can watch. Just so he really knows who's in charge around here."
"Clarisse..." Annabeth tried to say.
"Stay out of it, wise girl." Clarisse retorted. Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it. Percy handed Annabeth his minotaur horn and getting ready to fight, but before he could blink, Clarisse had him by the neck and was dragging Percy toward a cinder-block building that had a symbol of a toilet.. Percy was kicking and punching, but Clarisse had hands like iron.
She dragged Percy into the girls' bathroom. There was a line of toilets on one side and a line of shower stalls down the other, smelling just like any bathroom. Clarisse's friends were all laughing, and Percy was trying his best to fight her, but his efforts were in vain.
"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed him toward one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking." Her friends snickered. Annabeth and Y/N stood in the corner, watching through their fingers. Clarisse bent Percy over on his knees and started pushing Percy's head toward the toilet bowl. Y/N closed his eyes, afraid to see what happened next.
Then something happened. A sudden clanking of metal pipes was heard, and Y/N opened his eyes slightly. A stream of toilet water splashed over him, knocking Annabeth and Y/N back slightly. He got up, still stunned. Annabeth hadn't been spared either, as she was dripping wet. Y/N looked towards Percy in shock, as he stared back at me, his own face full of confusion. But his clothes were completely dry with not a drop of water covering them. Nothing. Percy stood up, his legs shaky.
"How did you..." Annabeth stammered.
"I don't know." He walked out the door. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud, and a bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her face. Her camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage. She gave Percy a look of absolute hatred.
"You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead." She spat.
"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth." Not a good idea from Percy, as Clarisse lurched forward, her face flushing with rage. Her friends had to hold her back. They dragged her toward cabin five, while the other campers made way to avoid her flailing feet. Annabeth and Y/N stared at Percy. He looked back at them.
"What?" He demanded. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking," Annabeth said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."
"What about me?" Y/N whined. She glanced at him, rolling her eyes.
"Fine, you too."
A/N: Hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'll try and leave some clues on who the godly parent is along the way