A large golden dragon, which Brandon told me was named Pelus, was wrapped around a large pine tree that had the Golden Fleece upon it. Two rectangles of cabins stood on one side of the property with a large house in the middle and what I guessed to be strawberry fields to one side. Surrounding the camp was a large forest that carried the scent of monsters, no doubt used for training. I could see close to a hundred of the half-bloods, but there was a heat radiation of at least two hundred and fifty.
I came back to attention when I heard Brandon speak to the dragon. "I, Brandon, give Mera permission to enter Camp Half-Blood." He then walked across the top of the hill and looked back to see if I was following. I came forward and he grinned when I didn't evaporate or disintegrate when crossing over.
My smile grew to match his when I saw a man approach who I knew my family had known, a centaur called Chiron. "Well Brandon what have you found here? A young half-blood I assume?" His voice was deep and ancient sounding.
"My name is Mera, sir. I hale from the land of sand by the city of lights." I confidently told him. I then felt a wave of new knowledge and realized I had just spoken in a way not done for maybe two hundred years!
"She knew without my telling her that I was a child of Apollo." Brandon said admiringly.
"Chiron, I know this may sound odd but I believe my other mother will claim me tonight." I said hoping they wouldn't laugh for my brazenness.
"I would hope as such. Ever since one of our campers, Percy, entered the gods into an agreement this past year they have kept up on it. Would you care for a tour of the grounds before dinner?" Chiron asked as we walked towards the house.
For the next half hour I learned where all of the cabins where, some there for honor and others empty because of the gods rarity of having children. The house was called the big house and it was where Rachel the carrier of the oracle of Delphi slept as well as the camp directors Chiron and Dionysus. I saw the archery field and sword arena and in it a large hellhound called Mrs. O'Leary who gave me a wet welcome that Chiron considered rare. I saw the lake and walked through the forest to Zeus's fist and to the strawberry fields tended to by satires and naiads. By seven I was starving and the two of us had arrived at the dinning pavilion where Dionysus gave me a rather half-hearted welcome.
After filling my plate and waiting in line at the fire I prayed a silent whisper, "Mother hear me and claim me, the child of two women." I sat at the Hermes table and got a short round of applause for catching the Stoll brothers trying to take anything that was in my pockets out of them. Of course they didn't know had I had nothing in my pockets!
As I stood up to go to bed a gasp and hush went throughout the room. Above my head was a cloud of darkness, the sign for the goddess Nyx, mother of Aether, Hemera, Moros, Thanatos, Hypnos, Blame, Woe, the Hesperides, the destines, the Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, Nemesis, and Apate. Nyx has given birth to no other children since these, mostly since she has already given birth to so many minor gods. "Mera, do you have anything to say, perhaps a story you are being filled with yet do not entirely know?" Chiron asked with a strange look upon his face.
"Yes, but how can you know?" I wondered but before he could say words started spurting out of my mouth. "I am the daughter of Nyx but my birth mother was Nerisada the daughter of Ares. She died in the desert of Las Angeles and the gods had to speed my birth. I am of the long line of Faye. Women born of the gods with powers passed on in birth. Each god and goddess has twice given us gifts so that I am now to be the end of the line. I have all in me that they wanted but they do not want me to know it all now. I have been born because of necessity for I must go with six when the time of smoke and fire come. Without me there is no point for I must lead them to the right road. I am Mera to become Meragia but only with the help of six will we all live. I have been claimed for I am the gods weapon!" I screamed as my blood pumped so fast I couldn't hear the gasps and screams as I fell to the floor unconscious.