Aletha

I could have asked for a better day, but it seemed that the weather reflected my feelings, and the other campers as well. The word quest had been brought up at least half a million times, everyone wanting to pitch in to help. Help with finding Jason. Some of the campers would, not wanting to show emotion, turn their heads away as they heard the name Jason. He had gone missing, and it felt empty without him here. I hated feeling helpless, that I could not give some bit of vital information to his whereabouts. It made me feel week… vulnerable. I loved him and it ached, a pain that felt worse than a stab in the leg -which I had endured in a fight not long ago. He was our head leader at camp and it felt wrong without him because he was the one that had saved us from time to time again. Especially when I had almost died in a fight with the sea monster last year… he'd come just in time.

Our camp was a camp for demigods, and unlike other camps that had special activities, games, bonfire songs, those things for us were only occasional. We trained a lot of our time, wanting to become better fighters so we'd be prepared for what we had to encounter outside of the camp. Monsters were horrible, but coming across some legendary creature that had regenerated straight out of Tartarus was even worse. I tried to imagine what Jason must be going through right now. Of course he'd have it all together, unlike me. I'd probably get lost, then come across a Cyclops who'd have me for dinner. I was a good fighter, but sometimes I lacked in self-confidence.

I walked through the forest, the unusually still forest. Normally there would be fauns running through, playing their reeds to attract a lovely tree or blossom dryad. But now it was quiet, and all of them either knew or could feel that someone was missing. Somebody important. It seemed lovely, yet it brought back painful memories. Jason and I would go walking through the forest every so often -when we weren't needed that is- and hold each other's hand. It was a day like this, except now the overcast light shone through the leaves, instead of a golden light that filtered through the canopy above and gave everything a jade green yet golden aura.

But now something broke my peace. I heard some exclamations of alarm from some of the campers. "Dude!" I heard one of them yell but I couldn't make out anything else they said because they were running toward something. I now ran to where I had heard the voices, wanting to know what had happened. I dodged past trees and came up on a trail that led to the edge of camp on the other side of the forest. I saw some of the campers, running ahead of me.

"Hey!" I called after them as I started to catch up. They stopped. It was Hazel and Bobby, and now they started to walk back up to me. "What's going on?" I wondered.

"We were on our way to try to find you and tell you that there was an important meeting at the campfire tonight," answered Hazel taking in shallow breaths, "but Bobby looked up at the cliff at the edge of camp, and showed me some guy sledding down it on a um… a tray?" "That's what I thought it looked like." He said shrugging. I wasn't quite sure what to make out of what they were telling me. I asked the first question that came to my mind.

"Did he look like a demigod?"

"Yeah," said Bobby, "I think he did at least, it was off at a distance." I looked over at the cliff and I could see the residue of dust in the air.

"Alright, let's go." We took off to where they had seen him disappear behind the trees and finally we got to the small clearing. I had already seen the crumpled figure through the trees as I was approaching and could tell it was a guy. He wasn't crippled and alive at that! Then I realized at this moment I wasn't dealing with a mortal.

I backed up slowly as he started to move. I pulled out my sword which split into two. It felt more balancing to have a sword in each hand. Hazel and Bobby were going to go and help him, but when they saw me take out my swords they knew that I thought this guy meant trouble and I could take him myself. So they stood there to see what would happen. He started to stand up, then stopped in a kneeling position. He looked down at the ground, shook his head, and stood all the way up with a stumble. He was tall, which led me to believe that he was at least two years older than me, especially when I saw his face. He had green eyes, and when I say green, I mean like a deep green. That when he looked into my eyes it felt as if I were looking into the deepest parts of the ocean. How I could really describe that feeling, I don't know. He had dark brown hair that looked like it hadn't been washed and combed in a few day. A green jacket on that almost matched his eyes with, but the color of his iris's was a different green all together. Underneath I could make out an orange shirt, and he had dark jeans on that was torn in a few areas. He was handsome, I'd give him that, even though he wore an extremely exhausted look on his face and looked like he could sleep for a whole week. Also instead of a confident look which his face seemed it should have had, it was confused like, "How'd I end up here?" or "Who am I? Can you tell me?" He stumbled again trying to get his bearings then stood up straight and looked at me again, but this time when I met his eyes all I saw was the surface of the water, as if that was all I was going to get from him.

At that moment I heard foot steps racing across the dirt of the path. Hazel, Bobby, and I looked behind ourselves and saw Alec, a kid from the Apollo cabin running up to us, his bow strung, aiming at the guy. "Your name now or I'll be forced to shoot you!" He took the words right out of my mouth, but I would've stabbed him. The guy backed up but put one of his hands up. "I…" He paused, then instead of a confused look, his expression became hurt, as if it brought him pain to whatever he was thinking. "My name's Percy." He said.

"Ok, so what're you doing here then?" Said Alec now standing by me.

"Honestly, I hardly remember anything from my past… except a few select things… and a wolf named Lupa guided me here." He pulled up his bow now aiming at his head

"Lies!" I elbowed Alec in the ribs before he could continue.

"Stupid, I think he's telling the truth." I rolled my eyes, this kid was always trigger friendly, or more like bow friendly. "Put down your arrow, you're going to kill him by mistake!" He grudgingly did so. I looked back at the guy.

"Now tell us," demanded Hazel, "how could you not remember anything?" Again came that face that looked so pained as if he were trying with all his might to bring up at least one single memory. "I-I think, my memories were taken away from me." I now rolled my eyes at him,

"But you said you could remember a few select things."

"But you see, I don't know how… I don't even know where I'm from." I'd dealt with campers who had amnesia before, and he looked like an obvious case. I sheathed my swords,

"Alec, put your bow and arrow away." Alec shot me an icy glare, but did as he was told. "What's that hanging from your pocket?" I had just noticed something coming from his jacket. He pulled it out, and it was a feather. But it wasn't just any feather, it was the symbol of Juno. Now I knew. "You're the one aren't you?"

"Again," he said in an agitated tone, "I don't know what you're even talking about." I smiled amused at this whole situation. This was an obvious part on the side of Juno. It even sounded like something she would do. But then… she must have done the same thing with Jason and that scared me. "You're the one that was told to us in the prophesy that would come." I repeated it for his sake.

The earth may tear up the roots of the past

But seven demigods may make it last

Two foes now friends work from inside

To bring together they shall bide

One shall come from either side

With legend names they will guide

Perseus shall come to you

Behold his powers for they are true

"Could you call me Percy please?" We both looked at him. "I don't really like being called my full name… my last name's Jackson."

"If you've lost your memory then how would you know that?" Asked Alec suspiciously. Percy thought about it.

"Just like I said, only a few select memories, and again I'm not sure how." It almost pained me to see that look on his face, a look of confusion and mental agony. I sighed,

"Alright, C'mon." I said towards Percy. "Let's go and talk to our camp leader." I turned toward Alec and the others, "I'm sure that she'd like to know that we've found the kid Perseus… although I'm not sure what good he'll do without him memory. Curse Juno…" Now the thought of Jason wondering around without a memory really scared me… where would she have put him? But then if Percy was starting to remember some things of his past, I hoped Jason would be able to do the same.