I

CLARISSE

"What's happening over there?" Clarisse asked Jenny, a demigod daughter of Enyo, sister of Ares. Weapons hung from the cabin walls, and crimson beds with scarlet sequoia arches and frames. Clarisse stopped sharpening her blade with one she'd found on the wall.

"I don't know," Jenny frowned, looking out of the window on the wall of Cabin 22. The walls were a dull and deep cinnabar tone, Enyo was the minor goddess of war and devastation, so bloody colours were appropriate. Given their heritage, Clarisse & Jenny got along well.

"Something's up with Cabin 21," Clarisse muttered, before she realised that Cabin 21 was Eileithyia's cabin, the goddess of childbirth! Clarisse sheathed her dagger and ran from the cabin into the one across the clearing, Jenny following swiftly. Cabin 21 was quite bland, with white quartz walls with occasional flower designs that were quite calming. The automatic door reminded Clarisse of a hospital, a maternity ward must be what they were aiming for. All beds were separated by white linen curtains, and all of the beds had plump pillows, soft duvets and chest-like cabinets for belongings beside it.

"Ah!" Screamed a slim woman in a silky white dress, with a pronounced bump in her stomach, as she was lowered into a bed. She looked elegant, despite the fact she was covered in sweat.

"Mellie?" Clarisse asked the aura, wind spirit.

"Yes?" Mellie asked, breathing heavily, but smiling when she saw the daughter of Ares, "Oh, it's good to see you!"

"And you!" Clarisse smiled, but then she returned her attention to the bump, "You and Hedge..?"

Mellie laughed, "Yes, and now look at me. I've got a little goat-baby kicking around inside of me!"

"How long until you're you due?" Jenny asked, to which Mellie pondered.

"About eight days," Chase interrupted, son of Eileithyia.

"How did you?" Mellie asked, but sighed and sank into the bed; exhausted, "You're a demigod of childbirth, of course you know. Argh!" She screamed again as the babies kicked.

"That's been happening for months?" Clarisse asked, bewildered as to how she could withstand such pain; it looked worse than war.

"Yes," Mellie panted, letting her head fall back into the pillow.

"Why are you here, though?" Jenny asked, "Isn't Persephone or Pan's Cabin good enough?"

"It's not that," Mellie warned them, "Gaia must be whispering to the trees; there's only a few dryads still on our side. The others shunned me, and the Persephone Cabin has been reduced to a fortress against the nature spirits, no way in, no way out. The satyrs are doing their best to calm the dryads and nymphs, but they're becoming evil."

"That's not good," Clarisse murmured, "I'll have to go and tell Cabin 4."

"It's fine," Jenny told Clarisse, "I'll go, I'll tell Miranda to send a few campers in there to keep things under control."

"No," Clarisse told her, "I'll call a meeting in the Big House, Chase, that includes you."

Chase grumbled, "As soon as we get a patient, I have to go. Fine, I'll get Leon from Cabin 23, you get the others."

"Okay," Clarisse agreed, and she ran across to Cabin 22, to meet Harry Flare, head of the cabin. Despite their close relation, the two couldn't stand each other, so Clarisse just opened the cabin door and yelled and him to go to the Big House for a meeting. Then Clarisse left there to got to Cabin 20, Hecate's cabin.

"Lou?" Clarisse asked cautiously, careful not to step inside the recently-built yet archaic-looking building. Her experience as a maple tree had taught Clarisse to be wary around Cabin 20. Lou Ellen stepped out of the rune-covered stone brick cabin.

"What is it?" she asked Clarisse.

"A meeting in the Big House, Chase will have explained it to Chiron by the time you get there." Clarisse told her, before walking down the red carpet that led to Cabin 19.

When she entered, cameras flashed in her face, stunning her temporarily. But then continued her journey into the small casino and saw the illegal gambling going on.

"Hey!" Clarisse shouted, and everyone froze, but returned to their games. Except Leila O'Brien, head of Tyche's Cabin, goddess of luck & chance.

"A meeting?" Leila asked in her heavy Irish accent, she was evidence of 'Luck O' the Irish', she never lost a game, unless it was a war game.

"Yeah," Clarisse muttered, frowning at the other cabin members. Partially because the cabin was pretty much illegal, but also because it was much larger than any other cabins, even Zeus', which was built the biggest, "How is this place so big?"

Leila chuckled, "Hecate's kids don't get all the magic, ya know? See ya!" And Clarisse was left to enter one of her favourite and least favourite cabins; Hebe's cabin. When she entered Cabin 18, Clarisse felt a huge surge of energy and happiness; youthfulness.

"Hey Clarisse," smiled James Seward, descendant of William H. Seward, who Annabeth claims to have been a son of Hebe. Even though James was considered a legacy, no-one could tell by how many generations, because he was the most powerful of the Cabin. Most certainly the eldest, but he looked around fourteen. For all they knew; William changed his name and went to camp!

"Meeting," Clarisse said, trying to say as little as possible in order to make sure the air couldn't persuade her to stay; this place was worse than a conversation with a Peitho demigod. Clarisse still had a powerful urge to stop everything and start building that cabin, but it was planned for Cabin 30, and they'd only just built 23 when the war began. The recently built cabin was one to Heracles, the husband of Hebe. The cabins were also built very similarly, with white marble walls, little alcoves in the walls that held cosy beds, surrounding the fountain with magically replenishing water at the top; it was supposedly a fountain of youth. Clarisse had never been bothered enough to try.

"Okay then," James smiled, and he whistled as he swayed out of the cabin. Clarisse followed in a much more deadpan mood.

At least she got to meet Hyder Antage; head of Cabin 17. As Clarisse entered Nike's Cabin, competitiveness engulfed her, and she was fine with that. There was a small dice table in the corner that Chiron had given them to control their need for challenge, but the place was also decorated with swords, daggers, scimitars and other fun things hanging from the pale gold, marble walls; even more weapons than Ares. Although this cabin didn't have landmines, which caused a smile to spread on Clarisse's face.

"Think fast!" A familiar English voice warned. Clarisse's smile stuck as she jumped and ducked at the same time, dodging two daggers that would have hit her. She picked them from the air and launched them at the boy who'd thrown them. Hyder smirked and caught them while they were still in motion, "If it isn't my favourite Ares camper!"

"Hey Hyder," Clarisse introduced herself. Hyder was charming, with black hair that seemed to style itself professionally, a stunning white smile and sparkling amethyst eyes. Apparently he had 'Alexandria's Genesis', meaning he had ancestry in Greece & Egypt, which his pale complexion wouldn't lead you to believe. If Clarisse wasn't dating Chris Rodriguez, she'd probably be dating Hyder. But at the moment he was just a good friend, "There's a meeting in the Big House. And you'd better lose the daggers before you go."

Hyder faked disappointment, but launched them at a marble wall; where they stuck. Then they both left, but Clarisse only left to enter Cabin 16; Nemesis' cabin. Clarisse walked into the schizophrenic colour scheme that was called Cabin 16. One side was almost glowing white and was where the children who favoured balance over revenge stayed, yet the other half absorbed the light into its blackness; this was where the children who favoured revenge over balance slept. Clarisse spun around and pointed at a random camper, "You! Meeting in the Big House, now." The girl sighed and left, Nemesis' children were strong believers in equality; in one of them proclaimed themselves counsellor then the others would tear them apart. So all of the cabin members knew all the rules and just went if they were selected.

Cabin 15 was different, Hypnos' kids weren't believers in equality; they were just too tired to choose one. The place was almost a regular log cabin, if you ignored the giant poplar tree that dripped milky white liquid Clarisse knew better than to touch, if she did, she'd lose her memories to the Lethe. Despite their laziness, however, Clovis was the eldest, and therefore the counsellor. Clarisse knew exactly how much pain it took to wake him up, the strongest pinch she could muster on the tip of his chin.

"Ow!" Clovis shouted, fully awake (a rare occasion) and he leapt up in a ninja position, "Who is it? Clarisse?"

"Yes," Clarisse sighed, "Go get Butch and take him to the Big House for a meeting; okay?"

"Fine," Clovis muttered, he was tired, but he knew the pain would keep him awake for at least another minute.

"Then go," Clarisse directed him to the door.

Then she woke up Pollux in Cabin 12, who grumbled and rolled over. Clarisse was slightly unnerved by the huge statues of Dionysus, Ganymede and many famous drunks from ancient Greece. An infinitely refilling wine barrel was the centrepiece of the cabin, Dionysus had a lock on it that he opened for celebrations, but Cabin 11 and 12 got along nicely, so it wasn't often locked. "You have to get up Pollux, it's two in the afternoon!"

"Do you have a hangover?" Pollux mocked, but it was difficult to tell which one of them he was mocking.

"No," Clarisse told him, "Because I follow the law."

Pollux stifled a laugh as he stood and got dressed, "Landmines ring a bell?"

Clarisse rolled her eyes, "I can't be bothered with you or the Hermes twins, get them up and take them to the Big House, will you?"

Pollux sighed, "Fine, just go and get Drew."

Clarisse remembered who was head of Cabin 10 now that Piper was on the Argo II, "Get her too? Thanks!" Clarisse said, running from Dionysus' cabin and ambling over to Cabin 9.

Nyssa, who was in charge until Leo returned, was arguing with Malcolm, head of Cabin 6 while Annabeth was gone. They were hunched over blueprints on a workbench that was in the midst of welding and coding. For some reason the other campers were jealous of, ever since the 'Curse of Cabin Nine' had gone, computers, phones and other electronic devices worked in that cabin; with no adverse affects! It turned out that coding was a skill Hephaestus campers were magnificent at.

"Meeting in the Big House!" Clarisse shouted in.

"No, I'm not hungry," Nyssa responded without looking up from the blueprints.

"Maybe soon," Malcolm added, still engaged in the prints.

"Get them to the Big House?" Clarisse asked Harley, and the little boy shrugged and walked towards them while Clarisse left to Cabin 7, Apollo's cabin. Will Solace nearly sliced her head off with a stray arrow. Toppling over, Clarisse got a slight glance into the fabulous interior of the cabin. Gold laced sheets were spread over beds, an easel rested against a wall, there was a notebook on each bed, and also a bow hanging from the back wall perfectly in the centre. Clarisse hadn't seen it before, but had no more time to ponder as her face was already in the grass.

"Oh my gods!" He shouted, throwing down his bow and running towards her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Clarisse told him, "We've got a meeting in the Big House now, and can you get Tyson too?"

"Sure," Will said, helping Clarisse up and they walked to the other cabins in awkward silence. Sometimes Clarisse wondered if Will had a crush on her, he always seemed protective to her. When they reach the third and fourth cabins, they split and entered the cabins.

"Hello?" Clarisse echoed into the Demeter cabin through the vine covered door. Pushing the hinged spruce plank, she peered into the darkness, the firefly lamps were gone, and shadows shrouded the interior. Slowly wielding her dagger, she stepped into the black.