Chapter One

There Goes Another Good Day

It was the first day of summer camp, and I had gotten lucky this year: only two monster problems in one year! I, Percy Jackson, was back at Camp Half Blood, one of the only safe places for demigods. I stood at the bottom of Half-Blood Hill, looking up at the dragon that guarded the pine tree that protected camp. Then I saw something even nicer: Annabeth was standing at the top of the hill, smiling down at me.

"Oh, it's good to be back," I sighed. No monsters where chasing me up the hill, which was either a good sign or a bad one. I started walking up the hill, Annabeth walking down towards me. Then she ran to me and gave me a hug.

"Glad to have you back, Sea Weed Brain!" When she let go, I could tell she was trying to hold black a blush, just like me. "I mean, good thing you didn't die." I knew I was blushing too. Then, just as I started heading up towards my awaiting bed, ready for me to take a nap, Annabeth's face paled and she edged toward her knife. "Percy…"

I turned around, dropping my suitcase and taking out my ballpoint pen. I uncapped Riptide when I saw what was awaiting me. A girl was running toward us franticly, and behind her was at least three monsters: A empousi, a minotaur (I thought I had killed him), and a skeleton warrior (I thought there were only twelve).

"Oh my gods!" Annabeth said, taking my hand. "Who is it?"

"I don't know!" I looked closely at the girl running towards us. No, it wasn't anyone I'd seen at camp before, and by now I knew the face, if not the name, of every kid at camp. "I think it's a new kid!" I started running toward the mob, but Annabeth grabbed my hand.

"We should get Chiron!"

"No! There's not enough time!"

"Your head is full of kelp!" She ran back up the hill, calling for Chiron. I started sprinting in the other direction, towards the girl being chased by monsters. I reached them in time to see the girl hit the minotaur over the head with what looked like an iron bar, and it turned into the makings of a sand castle.

"Well, well! If it isn't Percy Jackson! Ready to feel true pain?" The empousi smiled at me with those white, but pointed, teeth.

"I don't know about that… You ready to feel Riptide again?" With that, I lunged at her, slashing with Riptide. The girl I didn't know screamed. I didn't feel that familiar pull in my gut, but right then it started raining. This awakened my senses. I saw the empousi faint left, but I knew what she was going to do. I pretended to follow her fake, but just as she pulled out of it I stabbed with Riptide. With a hiss the empousi feel to the ground, nothing but dust. I looked over and saw the girl hit the skeleton's head off with the bar.

"Run!" I screamed, and we ran. We made it up the hill in record time, tying Grover's run to the lunch run on All-You-Can-Eat-Enchilada day. We meet Chiron in full horse form with Annabeth on his back, but that seemed a bit too much for this new half-blood. Predictably, she fainted.

"How did you…" Annabeth slid off Chiron's back.

"Question's later." Chiron lifted the new kid off the ground. "Let's get this one to the Big House. He galloped of, carrying her like a baby. We sprinted after.

"What do you think?" I asked Annabeth.

"I don't know, but she must be pretty powerful. Three monsters! A pretty dramatic entry, don't you think?"

"Maybe Ares." I said. "She doesn't have your blonde hair or grey eyes."

"Yes, well she doesn't look to tough. Maybe Nemesis. Let's wait and see." We took the stairs three at a time.

"Shh…" Annabeth said as we entered the room where the girl lay, unconsciously sipping some nectar.

"What do you think?" I asked Chiron, bending down next to him.

"I don't know. She's powerful, that's for sure." He took the empty nectar cup and placed it on the table. "I can't believe a satyr didn't find them her by now. I should've made a house call for her…" He looked down a the mystery girl. "Annabeth, Percy, if you'd like to watch over her for now you may. I have to go help the Aphrodite's with archery." He slowly walked out the door.

"Let's do it in shifts." Annabeth said. "You go get settled in you cabin, Percy. I'll watch her."

I walked down to my cabin. Another good start of camp ruined.