Chapter 2: Swear to the earth that I could keep it
"Woah," breathed Daisy, her nose smushed to the window.
We rounded a hill, revealing the Athena Parthenos, and next to it, a pine tree with a dragon curled around the trunk. A faint golden glow came from one of its branches. It wasn't until we climbed to the top of the hill that we got a good view of the place. Camp Half-blood was a sight. Demigods fighting in the arenas, some climbing a wall that appeared to have lava flowing from it (I could feel Brady's smile growing at this point).
"I bet you'd fall off the first five feet," I whispered in his ear. He turned and shot me a nasty glare.
The styr (whose name we learned was Herbert) lead us to a four story house. It reminded me a little of my father's little farmhouse. A man in a wheelchair and a girl in armor met us on the front porch.
"Welcome back Herbert," the man said, "I see your mission was a success."
"Mmm hmm. There were monsters all over the place. I was nearly face to face with a group daemons on just outside the city before I picked these three up!" Herbert exclaimed waving his hands around frantically.
"Fresh meat." said the girl said to us. She had short choppy brown hair tied back by a bright blue bandana and wore black ripped jeans, muddy brown combat boots matching her beaten up armor.
"Excuse you." Daisy crinkled her nose.
The girl with choppy hair snorted.
"Eh, hem." the man talking to Herbert cleared his throat. "I am Chiron, camp director and this here is one of our senior counselors, Clarisse. Why don't you three come on inside."
"Well that was…" started Daisy at a loss of words.
"Educational?" I suggested, blinking a few times allowing my eyes re-adjust to the sunlight.
"Yeah."
"That was hilarious!" laughed Brady
The orientation video we watched in the farmhouse, called the Big House, was entertaining to say the least. When I typically think of orientation, I think of someone thoroughly explaining something, not a shaky camera following around some weird curly, brown haired boy making an absolute fool of himself. Chiron mumbled something about it being a parting gift from Apollo when he left camp.
"Listen up, newbies," Clarisse barked, "dinner is in twenty and since you haven't been claimed yet, you all get the privilege of sitting at the Hermes table."
Dinner was a complete disaster. It's not dramatic at all to say Aunt Julia would have had a heart attack if she had seen the state of the table. Food was everywhere, kids were laughing and snorting and falling off the bench. Brady joined in on the fun, but I kept my head down low. I've been the 'new kid' enough times to know not to make a fool out of myself, though I don't know if that would matter in this situation.
Later that night, along with many others, we sat around a large, multicolored bond fire. The singing and the half burnt smores was the first good impression I had of the camp so far.
Not bad, I thought to myself, not bad at all.
A gasp shook me from my thoughts. Every was staring at us. More specifically, Daisy and Brady. Floating above both of their heads was a gold circle, inside a dove. Both had just as surprised faces. Brady's face morphed into a pained contortion, looking like he was going to pass out.
Chiron trotted forward. "All welcome Daisy and Brady Laskaris, children of Aphrodite."
To be honest, I was half expecting, half hoping, my godly parent to claim me, but nothing happened. I looked a Chiron.
"Not everyone is claimed immediately. Sometimes they wait for when the child proves themselves worthy. You can stay in the Hermes cabin for now."
I nodded and followed him to the cabins.
My first impression wasn't great.
When I first walked in, I realized that I had never truly understood the word disorganized. Clothes were thrown everywhere, papers and random items were scattered across the floor, bunk beds were unmade and the kids were unruly.
"Hey, I'm Patt, the head counselor." He said introducing himself. I remembered him from the table. "And this here is Sarah." He gestured to his left where a short stubby girl stood. Her brown hair stood up in all directions and her chocolate eyes was as rich as her skin. I nodded in acknowledgement.
"I'll show you where you can sleep." She led me to an empty bunk bed. As I put my stuff down, she yammered on about the daily schedule, which I didn't listen.
I didn't sleep well that night and I had to keep my bag under my pillow to keep the younger kids from stealing it. The next morning, I met up with Daisy at breakfast before splitting off with our own cabins. I was completely exhausted after a day of archery, obstacle courses, kayaking and arts and crafts. I quickly found I just just as good on a pegasus as I was on a regular horse. The Hermes kids were fun, but tricky. They set up pranks and traps all over camp.
I still wasn't claimed after the first week. Chiron kept telling me not to worry, but there wasn't a single kid in camp who wasn't claimed. Eventually it didn't bother me anymore.