Theo's POV
Greek gods are real, satyrs eat aluminum cans, and a Latin teacher is a centaur...Now I've seen everything.
Chiron, Percy, and I passed the volleyball pit. Several campers nudged each other. One pointed at the minotaur horn that Percy was holding and another pointed at me. Another one said, "That's them."
Most of the campers were older than me and Percy. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover and Eric, all of them trotting around on orange "CAMP HALF-BLOOD" T-shirts, and no pants so their goat legs were out in the open for everyone to see.
I saw Percy look back at the farmhouse, then saw something.
Percy: What's up there?
Chiron looked at where Percy was pointing, which looked like the attic, and his smile faded.
Chiron: Just the attic.
Percy: Somebody lives there?
Chiron: No. Not a single living thing.
I looked back at the farmhouse and saw the attic curtain move. What the hell?
We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.
According to Chiron, the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus, which pays for their expenses.
As we watched the satyrs play their reed pipes, Pery asked Chiron...
Percy: Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he? I mean...he was a good protector. Really.
Chiron: (sighs) Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than they are reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing them safely to Camp Half-Blood.
Percy: But he did that!
Chiron: I might agree with you, but it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success, or even that of Eric's for that matter. After all, he lost his life bringing young Theo here, and Grover lost you in New York. Then there's the unfortunate...ah...fate of your mother. And the fact that you both were unconscious near the property line, the Council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part, or Eric's.
Theo: That's just wrong and you know it. Eric did protect me with his life. If that doesn't show any courage, I don't know what does. And I'm pretty sure Grover would've done the same with Percy.
Chiron: Like I've said, Theo. It is not my place to decide. The Council will make their choice soon enough.
I just shook my head in disbelief. Why would they punish Grover or Eric for something that wasn't in their control? It's not like either of them summoned the Minotaur or the Odontotyrannos, and it's like they decided to crash the cars they were in with lightning.
Somebody else summoned those monsters, and Zeus was being a child-hating bitch.
Percy: He'll get a second chance, won't he?
Chiron: (winces) I'm afraid that was Grover's second chance, Percy. The Council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age...
Percy: How old is he?
Chiron: Oh, 28.
I'm sorry, WHAT?!
Percy: What?! And he's in 6th grade?
Chiron: Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past 6 years. (looks at Theo) And Eric was 30 when he passed.
Percy: That kind of sucks. (looks at Theo) The aging, not the dying.
I just nodded.
Chiron: Quite. At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps he will find some other career.
Percy: That's not fair. What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?
Chiron: (looks away) Let's move along, shall we?
It was probably really bad if he didn't wanna talk about it, but I won't push.
Theo: Chiron...If the gods and Olympus and all that are real...
Chiron: Yes, child?
Theo: By that logic, that'd mean that the Underworld is real too, right?
Chiron's expression darkened.
Chiron: Yes, child. There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now...until we know more...I would urge you two to put that out of your mind.
Theo: What do you mean, "until we know more?"
Chiron: Come, you two.
As we reached the forest, I realized just how big it was. It took up almost a quarter of the valley, with trees so tall and thick, and it looked completely untouched since the Native Americans. It felt so calm, quiet, and peaceful. And it made me feel right at home.
Chiron: The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck. But go armed.
Theo: Armed?
Percy: Stocked with what?
Chiron: You'll see. Capture the Flag is Friday night. I'll assume you two will be needing to burrow a sword and shield.
Percy: Capture the what?
Chiron: Size 5 or maybe 6. You two are of similar size. Ah, we will visit the armory later.
The camp has an armory? That's awesome.
As we kept walking, we saw the archery range (which caught most of my attention), the canoeing, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to like very much), the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena which Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.
Percy: Sword and spear fights?
Chiron: Cabin challenges and all that. Not that. Oh, yes, and there's the mess hall.
He pointed toward a large pavilion. Framed in white Grecian columns on a bill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof or walls.
Theo: What do you do if it rains?
Chiron looked at me as if I was crazy.
Chiron: We still have to eat, don't we?
Finally, he showed us the cabins. There were 12 of them arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were the most bizarre things I've ever seen.
Percy pointed at the two cabins at the base.
Percy: Zeus and Hera?
Chiron: You are quite correct.
Theo: They look empty.
Chiron: Several of the cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in 1 or 2.
So each cabin represents a god. Got it. 12 cabins, 12 Olympian gods. I guess the vacant ones are just for show.
Theo: What about that one?
I pointed at a blue cabin on the left side. The attic window had a bow and arrow on it.
Chiron: That would be cabin 8. Artemis cabin. That's also empty.
Well, Artemis was a maiden goddess, so that checks out.
As we passed Number 5, I thought it looked ugly. It looked like it was splashed with buckets of red paint. It looked like a shoddy paint job and it was built for a zombie apocalypse.
I swear I could hear rock music from inside.
As for the campers inside the cabin, they all looked like jocks, both boys and girls. The loudest was a girl maybe a year or 2 older than me. She wore an XXXL "CAMP HALF-BLOOD" T-shirt under a camo jacket. She looked at me and Percy and had a sneer on her face that could rival Draco Malfoy's.
Yes, I've seen the movies. I couldn't read the books because of my dyslexia.
Theo: Um, Mr. Chiron. I don't mean to sound rude, but why haven't we seen any other centaurs at the camp?
Chiron: Please, Theo, no need to be so formal. Chiron is fine. And I'm not offended by your question. My kinsmen are wild and barbaric folk. You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at any major sporting events. But you won't see any here.
I just nodded slowly as Percy asked another question.
Percy: So, I know you're name is Chiron, and I guess must've known who you were, but I thought I should just ask. Are you the Chiron from the stories?
Chiron: The Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, Percy, I am.
Percy: But shouldn't you be dead?
Chiron: I honestly don't know about "should be." The truth is, I can't be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish...and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed.
Percy: Doesn't it ever get boring?
Chiron: No, no. Horribly depressing at times, but never boring.
Percy: Why would it be depressing?
Honestly, I could understand why. Imagine seeing everyone you care about grow old and die while you stay the same way you are forever. I would've lost my mind if it was me.
But spending 3,000 years as a teacher? Nah, couldn't be me.
Chiron, though, didn't answer Percy's question.
Chiron: Oh, look. Annabeth is waiting for us.
I looked ahead and saw Annabeth reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, cabin 11. Out of all the cabins, this one was the most normal-looking one.
I looked up and saw a caduceus above the door, so I assumed that this cabin was dedicated to Hermes.
I looked back at Annabeth and saw her looking me and Percy over as if we were a puzzle. That's when I noticed her stormy grey eyes. They kinda ruined the stereotypical California girl look she had going on.
Chiron: Annabeth, I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy and Theo from here?
Annabeth: Yes, sir.
Chiron: (to Theo and Percy) Cabin eleven. Make yourselves at home.
We opened the door and almost immediately, I grimaced. The cabin was filled to the brim with cambers, and there were not enough beds for all of them, but there were a lot of sleeping bags on the floor. It looked like an evacuation center set up by the Red Cross after a natural disaster.
If each cabin represents a god, and the inhabitants of each cabin are the children of each god, then it would make sense. But there is no way in hell that all these guys are children of Hermes.
Chiron stayed outside because he couldn't fit through the door since it was too low. But the campers bowed to him respectfully when they saw him. I wasn't sure if I should bow as well or not.
Chiron: Well, then. Good luck, you two. I'll be seeing you at dinner.
He trotted away, and the campers stopped bowed, and instead stared at me and Percy as if they were sizing us up.
Annabeth: Well? Go on.
Percy, Annabeth, and I stepped inside. But Percy immediately tripped, and I caught him just before he fell on his face. A few campers snickered.
Annabeth: Percy Jackson, Theo Miller, welcome to cabin 11.
???: Regular or undetermined?
What does that mean?
Annabeth: Undetermined.
Everyone groaned, then a guy who was a little older than the rest stepped forward.
Guy: Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. (turns to Percy and Theo) Welcome, Percy, Theo. You two can have that spot on the floor over there.
The guy was at least 19. He was tall and muscular, with short-cropped blonde hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with five different colored beads. The only unsettling thing about him was the thick white scar that ran from just under his right eye all the way to his jaw, like an old knife slash.
Annabeth: This is Luke. He's your counselor for now.
She spoke in a slightly higher, and her throat seemed to tighten a bit as she spoke. I looked back at her and saw her blushing.
If I didn't know any better, I'd think she has a crush on him. I mean, I can't really blame her, he looked attractive. Hell, I'd have a crush on him if I wasn't straight.
Percy: For now?
Luke: You two are undetermined. They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin 11 takes all the newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers.
The space on the floor Luke pointed out to us was very small. I guess I'll just sleep outside, thank you very much, because this cannot be sanitary.
Percy: How long will we be here?
Luke: Good question. Until you're determined.
Theo: And how long does that usually take?
The campers all laughed at me.
Annabeth: (to Percy and Theo) Come on. I'll show you the volleyball court.
Percy: Chiron showed it to us already.
Annabeth: Come on.
She grabbed me and Percy by the wrists and pulled us out of the cabin.
Annabeth: Jackson, Miller, you have to do better than that.
Percy & Theo: What?
Annabeth: (rolls her eyes) I can't believe I thought either of you were the one.
Theo: (angrily) What the hell is your problem? All I know is, Percy killed a bull dude, and I killed a giant horse-
Annabeth: Don't talk like that! You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?
Theo: What?! To fucking die?!
Annabeth: To fight a Minotaur or an Odontotyrannos! What do you think we train for?!
Theo: What?! You wanna see your best friend die in front of you too?! Be my guest!
Annabeth clenched her fists and charged straight at me, but Percy got in between us and stretched his arms out to separate us.
Percy: Hey! Hey! Easy! Easy!
Annabeth pushed Percy's arm away and huffed, while I let out a deep breath. I realized that what I said must've stung for her, based on her reaction, and I immediately felt bad.
Percy: (to Annabeth) Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, and Theo actually fought the Odontotyrannos, the same ones in the stories...
Annabeth: Yeah.
Percy: Then there's only one of each.
Annabeth: Yep.
Percy: But they died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, and the Odontotyrannoses were hunted down into extinction. So...
Annabeth: Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die.
Percy: (sarcastically) Oh, thanks. That clears it up.
Annabeth: They don't have souls, like the three of us. 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: You mean, if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-
Annabeth: The Fur...I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad.
Percy: How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?
Annabeth: You talk in your sleep.
Theo: (sarcastically) Well, that's not creepy at all.
Annabeth scowled at me.
Percy: You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?
Annabeth glanced at the ground nervously.
Annabeth: You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all.
Theo: Is there anything we can say that doesn't tick things off the wrong way? Besides, why do we have to stay at cabin 11, anyway? There are, like, at least three empty cabins to choose from. Why do we have to sleep on the floor of the one cabin that's clearly over capacity?
Annabeth: You don't just choose a cabin, Theo. It depends on who your parents are. Or...your parent.
She looked at me, then at Percy, then back at me.
Theo: I'm adopted, so I have no idea. Eric did say my birth father was a half-blood, but that's about it. All I know is that I just showed up in front of an orphanage in Brooklyn in a bronze crib. All I had was a note that had my first name on it, and this.
I pulled out my arrowhead necklace, and Annabeth seemed to recognize it before looking up at me.
Annabeth: So you have no idea who your birth mother is?
Theo: No, I don't.
I put the necklace down and let it dangle around my neck as Annabeth turned to Percy.
Percy: My mom is Sally Jackson. She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to.
Annabeth: I'm sorry about your mom, Percy, but that's not what I meant. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad.
Percy: He's dead. I never knew him.
Annabeth: (sighs) Your father's not dead, Percy.
Percy: How can you say that? You know him?
Annabeth: No, of course not.
Percy: Then how can you say-
Theo: We're both half-bloods. Your dad's a god (turns to Annabeth) Right?
Annabeth nodded.
Percy: What makes you say that?
Theo: Eric explained it to me on the way here 5 days ago, before he died. You have ADHD and dyslexia, right?
Percy: Yeah?
Theo: When you try to read something, the letters float off the page, right?
Percy: Uh, yeah, but-
Theo: You can't sit still for any more than a minute at a time, hm?
Percy: Sure, but what does-
Annabeth: Put them together, it's almost a sure sign. For the dyslexia--Your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield 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.
Percy: You sound like...you went through the same thing.
Annabeth: Most kids here did. If you weren't like us, you wouldn't survived the Minotaur or the Odontotyrannos, much less the ambrosia and nectar.
Theo: Ambrosia and nectar?
Annabeth: 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're both half-bloods.
Theo: So that's why Grover said I didn't wanna drink too much.
Annabeth nodded in confirmation.
???: Well! A couple of newbies!
We looked over and the same big girl from the ugly red cabin sauntering towards us along with 3 other girls, all big, ugly, and mean-looking and wearing camo jackets, following her.
Annabeth: Clarisse, why don't you go polish your spear or something?
Clarisse: Sure, Miss Princess, so I can run you through with it Friday night.
Annabeth: Erre es korakas!
I understood that. She said, "Go to the cows!", which I guess is supposed to be a way of saying, "Fuck off!"
Annabeth: You don't stand a chance.
Clarisse: We'll pulverize you! (turns to Theo and Percy) Who're those little runts?
Annabeth: Percy Jackson, Theo Miller, meet Clarisse. Daughter of Ares.
Ares? Like the god of war? Well, that explains a lot.
Percy: Like...the war god?
Clarisse: You got a problem with that?
Percy: No. It explains the bad smell.
I snorted, which Clarisse somehow didn't notice. But Annabeth elbowed me in the ribs to shut me up.
As for Clarisse, she growled at Percy.
Clarisse: We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy.
Percy: Percy.
Clarisse: Whatever. Come on, I'll show you. (turns to Theo) You too, Titi.
Theo: It's Theo.
Annabeth: Clarisse-
Clarisse: Stay out of it, wise girl.
Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it. I knew I couldn't rely on anybody but myself in situations, but if I don't it'll make it even worse.
Percy handed Annabeth his Minotaur horn and got ready for a fight, while I did the same. Clarisse grabbed Percy before he got the chance to react, while one of the three girls reached for me. Luckily, I weaved out of the way, grabbed her arm, and threw her over my back and into the ground.
But I didn't notice the second one coming for me, and by the time I realized it, I was being held in a Full Nelson lock. Clarisse tossed Percy over to the third girl and walked up to me...
Then she punched me in the stomach. It felt like I got hit by a trunk, so I hunched over and groaned in pain. Then Clarisse saw my necklace dangling from my neck and snatched it.
Theo: HEY!
I tried to lunge at Clarisse, but the girl that held me must've had an iron grip, so I couldn't move as Clarisse put my necklace in her jacket pocket.
Percy and I were kicking and screaming as we were dragged into the girls' bathroom by the laughing Ares girls. It smelled like any other public toilet.
Clarisse: Like these guys are "Big Three" material. Yeah, right. Minotaur and Odontotyrannos probably fell over laughing, they were so stupid-looking.
Both Percy and I were put on our knees as our heads were being forced into the toilets...then before I could process what happened, I got drenched in toilet water and I heard Clarisse screaming.
I felt the grip on me disappear, so I lifted my head, turned around, and saw the aftermath.
Annabeth and I were wet, but the four Ares girls were gone. The only one in the bathroom who was dry was Percy, and he was standing in the only dry spot in the whole spot in the whole bathroom.
Somehow, he controlled the toilet water and drenched everything and everyone in the bathroom apart from himself.
I got up and walked towards Annabeth while still staring at Percy in disbelief.
Annabeth: How did you...?
Percy: I don't know.
We walked out of the bathroom and saw Clarisse and her friends sprawled in the mud, fucking drenched, as a bunch of other campers gathered around to gawk.
Clarisse looked at me and Percy with a look of pure rage.
Clarisse: You are dead, new boys! You are totally dead!
Percy: You wanna gargle in toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth.
Clarisse had to be held back by her friends, who dragged her back to cabin 5 as she was flailing around trying to escape their grip. As she was being dragged away, I saw my necklace fall out of her pocket, so I immediately walked to it and picked it up before putting it back around my neck.
I turned around and saw Annabeth looking back and forth between me and Percy.
Percy: What? What are you thinking?
Annabeth: I'm thinking...that I want you both on my team for Capture the Flag.
She started walking away. I still wanted to apologize, so I followed her.
Theo: Annabeth, wait up!
She kept walking.
Theo: I just wanna talk, okay? Please, just listen for one second.
She stopped walking, sighed, and then turned around to face with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
Annabeth: Fine. What?
Theo: I wanna apologize for what I said earlier.
Annabeth's expression softened.
Theo: I figured that what I said must've stung based on how you reacted. Look, I don't know exactly what happened, but I'm not gonna ask. You don't have to tell me anything. I just...I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot, so...I'm sorry.
I put my hand out. Annabeth just looked at me, then at my hand, then back at me.
Finally, she sighed.
Annabeth: I know you didn't mean it. I know you're still trying to move past what happened to Eric, and I'm not gonna hold it against you.
I couldn't help but smile.
Theo: So we're good?
Annabeth: We're good.
She took my hand and shook it, softly smiling as well.
The rest of the day was a blur. Word of the bathroom incident spread like wildfire, Annabeth showed me and Percy a few more places like the metal shop (where kids were forging their own swords), and arts and crafts room, and the climbing wall, which consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, threw boulders, sprayed lava, and clashed together if you don't climb to the top fast enough.
Percy tried to apologize to Annabeth about the toilets, but she just said that he needed to talk to the Oracle, whatever that is.
Annabeth did tell us that her godly parent was Athena, which made me a bit more confident about our chance of winning Capture the Flag on Friday since Athena is the goddess of wisdom, craft, and warfare, which would make her and her children skilled strategists.
We also learned that half of the people in cabin 11 never get claimed by their godly parent, and I just know that at least half of that half are frustrated as all hell.
Annabeth did say that some campers only stay for the summer, while others stay all year round. She also said that some of them start attracting monsters after they become 11 years of age. Despite this, some half-bloods survive and become well-known people.
We also learned that there is a magical barrier surrounding the camp that keeps monsters and mortals out. They can only get in by either getting a half-blood's permission or if they were summoned from inside, which some campers do for either practice or practical jokes. Half-bloods can leave camp by getting permission from Chiron or Mr. D or by being granted a quest, but that hasn't happened for a long time.
Annabeth said that she had been here since she was seven, but didn't give us any details.
Percy did say that while Annabeth was nursing him back to health, she mentioned something about a "summer solstice," a term he recognized when he overheard Chiron and Grover talking about it in Yancy Academy. Annabeth said that all she knew was that something was wrong in Olympus, which some year-rounders went to.
Did I forget to mention that Olympus was above the Empire State Building?
Then we had dinner, found out that Luke's dad was Hermes, then we all went to bed. I did not want to sleep in that overcrowded cabin, so I used my winged shoes to fly up to a tree branch and lay there until I fell asleep.
Not a bad first day, if I do say so myself.