In Dante's dreams, things were never good.

The last time he had had a decent dream was when he was five, before… the incident.

He floated in his dreams, thinking of the battle he had just fought. He had just beaten a real-life Cyclops. Even for him, that was weird, but at the same time, it was pure adrenaline rush. Dante smiled.

Then he heard a cruel cold laugh.

Dante shouted out, but couldn't seem to locate the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" he yelled.

Cruel laughter again. It took Dante a while to realize that the voice was coming from all directions.

"Foolish boy," the deep voice said. "So innocent. So ignorant."

Dante was scared out of his mind, but managed to shout out, "Okay, buddy, I got two hard-ass fists with your name on them. So come out here and show yourself, you wuss."

Suddenly everything rumbled. "Do not toy with me," the voice chided. "For I have come to warn you. Soon, you will be sent to defeat me, but you cannot. I am all seeing, all knowing. Nothing is hidden from me. I know you fear being cast out once they find out who you really are."

Dante paled.

"Oh yes," the voice said, "you are worried that they will fear you, once they find out about your, ah, mixed heritage."

"I don't need to hear any of this stupid crap! Get out of my dream, you sick, rumbly, deep voiced psycho."

More rumbling. "You still do not understand, do you? I am offering you a chance to not merely survive, but rise above the restrictions of any mortal, god, titan or even my dear legacies, Gaea and Ouranos. I am offering you the chance at more power than you could imagine. You would be able to change the very fiber of reality with your thoughts, and who ever you wish to be returned from the dead to be with you, shall be there with you. And all you have to do is give me your word, and your loyalty."

Dante laughed defiantly. "Okay, bud, you had me at no restrictions, power, and reality changing superpowers, but you kinda lost me at loyalty."

"No matter. You will heed my words."

"We'll see about that."

The laughter became louder than Dante had ever heard before.
Suddenly, he saw two blazing crimson eyes, each as large as Dante's own body. Then there was a flash of red lightning and nothing but consuming darkness.

XXX

"Dante?" asked Danielle.

"Yup," said Dante. "I must be dreaming if I'm looking at such and ugly face."

Normally, Danielle would punch her annoying cousin at a comment like this. But she was so happy to hear him say anything; she sighed in relief and crushed him in a hug.

"Ow," said Dante eventually. "Crushing me. Ribs. Ribs gonna crack."

Danielle laughed and let go of Dante, then punched him.

Before Dante could protest, he saw Trevor burst in, along with Silas.

"Dante!" said Trevor. "You're alive!"

"Thanks for noticing. Man, that dream was trippy."

"What dream? Ah, never mind. You should see this place! It's freaking amazing! Silas showed me around."

"Silas?" asked Dante. "So this is where you live, huh?

"I've lived in many places, but I lived here the most," said Silas. "I consider it my home."

"Man, you should see the place!" Trevor exclaimed. "There's a climbing wall with lava, woods with monsters, and a massive warship. And the people! Man, the Hephaestus kids are building wizards, the Athena's are geniuses, and the Aphrodite girls are total babes! And don't even get me started on the Naiads -"

"Thanks Trevor," said Dante, "but I think I'll check this place out on my own."

"You better get ready," said Danielle. "Dinner's about to start."

Dante noticed his cousin's eyes for the first time. They were red and puffy from crying. That was a very bad sign. Danielle almost never cried about anything.

"Yeah," said Dante. "Let's eat. I'm famished."

XXX

Even in his moment of weakness, Dante had to admit that the camp was pretty cool.

"This place," he said, as Silas led him to the dining pavilion, "is incredible."

"You should see New Rome," said a new voice. Dante turned and saw a boy with windswept hair and green eyes walking towards them, hands in his pockets. "It's practically twice the size of Camp Half-Blood."

"I know you," said Dante. "You're that guy from last night who was putting out all the fires that the dragon made."

The boy smiled and held out his hand. "Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Praetor of New Rome, pleased to meet you."

Dante shook Percy's hand. "Dante Night, Son of I'm-not-so-sure-yet, and recent Cyclops-killer, pleased to meet you too."

Percy laughed. "I saw your performance last night. It was pretty cool. Reminds me of my fight withthe Minotaur when I first came to camp."

Dante nearly choked. "I'm sorry, did you say Minotaur? No way had you fought that thing."

"Got the horn in my cabin to prove it." Percy frowned. "Hey, I saw you shadow-travel last night. Not every demigod can do that, especially demigods who don't know who their godly parents are."

Dante shrugged "I dunno. Hey, just out of curiosity, which demigods can use it?"

"We've only ever encountered one demigod who could do that," said Silas. "He was a child of the underworld."

Percy nodded. "Nico di Angelo. Son of Hades."

Dante hesitated. "So who d'you think my parent could be?"

"Honestly, Dante, I've got no idea. I'd say Hades, but you're what, seventeen? Having you seventeen years ago would break the truce between him and his brothers."

"But what about Nico? Wouldn't having him break the truce?"

"Technically, no. He spent the last seventy years frozen in time in a magic hotel."

Dante decided not to ask what Percy meant. He'd just get confused.

"So, uh, you got good eats at the campfire?"

"The best. You'll probably be claimed there tonight too. I'm surprised you haven't been claimed yet. That should've happened a long time ago."

Dante's heart raced. He would be claimed tonight? Sure, he knew a few people here, but once they found out who-or what- he was, they would probably cast him out. Kill him if he was unlucky.

"Uh, Percy," said Dante, "about that-,"

"I know you're nervous. Everyone is. But you'll get through it." With those words, he walked on to the campfire.

"Nervous is a serious understatement," muttered Dante, as he and Silas jogged after Percy.

XXX

When Dante saw the campfire, he almost forgot his troubles. There was food from every corner of the world; tacos, fries, hamburgers, pizza, and much more, and Dante wasn't going to not eat just because he was feeling down. In fact, he ate more than usual when he felt troubled.

Once he had loaded his plate with food, Dante was faced with the question that all demigods faced before they were claimed: finding a place to sit.

"Hey, Dante!" called Percy. "Come here! You can sit with us."

Dante sighed in relief and went over to Percy. He saw Trevor and Danielle already there. Danielle didn't have much on her plate, just a sandwich and some fries. Trevor, on the other hand, had every food on the menu piled on his plate ten centimeters high, and was shoveling food into his mouth at a rapid rate.

"Trevor, how the hell do you stay so thin?"

Trevor shrugged. "I don't know. Genetics?"

Dante plopped himself heavily on the stool opposite his friends, right next to Percy.

"Hey there, Seaweed Brain," said a new voice.

Dante turned and saw a blond girl walking towards them, a smile plastered on her face. She had grey stormy eyes. She sat down next to Percy and plastered a big kiss on his lips, which he returned gratefully.

Dante smiled, Danielle smirked and Trevor widened his eyes, his cheeks stuffed with food, as if he wanted to ask the new girl out.

Percy caught the others staring and broke off the kiss hastily.

"Um," he said, "guys, this is my girlfriend, uh what's your name again? You know how I'm always dating other girls 'cause I'm so cool and sexy-,"

He was cut off by Annabeth punching him in the shoulder with a frown.

"You gonna introduce me to your friends, Seaweed Brain?" she asked dangerously.

"Uh, yeah. Guys, this is my girlfriend-,"

"Annabeth Chase," Annabeth interrupted. She smiled and shook their hands. "I'm a daughter of Athena. You guys came in last night, didn't you?"

"Yup," said Danielle. "We, uh, dunno who our parents are. I'm Danielle, by the way. Danielle Night."

"But everyone calls her Ellie," Trevor said. That earned him a kick in the shin.

"And you are?" asked Annabeth.

"Trevor Mullen," Trevor said, rubbing his shin.

Dante tried not to meet this girl's eye. He had that feeling that something bad was going to happen. Either through her or to her, Dante couldn't decide which.

Annabeth's look turned to one of curiosity as she set her eyes upon Dante. "Hey, you're that kid who beat the Cyclops."

"Uh, yeah," said Dante. "My name's Dante Night."

Percy frowned. "Is it just me, or do you and Danielle have the same last name?"

"Nah, we do have the same surname. We're cousins."

"Okay," said Annabeth. "Hey, what was that weapon you were using last night, a spear of some sort, right?"

For some reason, Dante blushed as he reached into his jacket and pulled out the short metal rod resting there.

"It starts off like this," he explained, "but it can turn into a full-length spear if I just concentrate."

"But weren't you also using a scythe last night? Where did that come from?"

Dante hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure of how the spear works. I think it can transform into any weapon I've used before."

"You've fought with a scythe before?"

"Yup. I was eight. It was in a museum. This crazy snake lady started chasing me outta nowhere, when I-," he faltered. "Let's just say I was pretty lucky I killed that thing in the first place."

They kept talking, really getting to know each other, until Chiron came along in his full centaur form, and stamped his hoof to get everyone's attention.

"Is that really a centaur?" asked Danielle.

"Yeah," replied Percy, "that's Chiron, head of the whole camp."

"Demigods!" Chiron said. "As you know, we have had three new demigods come to camp last night, under very… distressing circumstances, and as such, I would like to call each of them, and their protector, up here now."

Hesitantly, Dante, Danielle, Trevor and Silas each went to centre of the pavilion, just in front of the blazing, comforting orange fire.

"As you know, these three almost died, and very well would have if it had not been for an excellently executed plan this previous night. And so, as a reward, I would like us each to scrape a little more than usual into the fire as tribute to the gods, so they may reveal who the parents of these children are."

"Not without us, you're not," said a new voice.

Everyone turned their heads to see the newcomers. Percy smiled and ran over.

He hugged them all, and Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank and Hazel returned the favor.

Everyone started speaking, and Chiron had to stamp again to be heard.

"Enough! While I am relieved to finally see our allies from Camp Jupiter here again, I think we should all get back to business."

"Well," called out someone from the back, "if they're not claimed, there is always room in the in the Big House!"

"Oh great," Annabeth muttered. "This guy."

Dante heard what she said and followed the voice of the person who had called out. He saw a boy with stringy dark hair, a slightly pudgy face, and a big smile. He was very thin, and held a cruel, loathsome light in his eyes. Dante took an immediate dislike to him.

"Liam Brooks, while you're concern is appreciated," Chiron said lowly, (it was obvious that took no special liking to this demigod,), "you have no right to simply call-,"

"Oh, please, Chiron, we know they're not going to be claimed, just look at them! They're barely-,"

Liam was cut short by a loud bang behind Trevor. Everyone was staring at his head.

"What?" he asked. "Have I got a bug on my face?" He then saw a bright orange light illuminating everyone's faces. "Hey why're you all- holy crap!"

Holy crap indeed. Trevor saw a huge blacksmiths hammer wreathed in fire, its image floating over his head.

Chiron immediately bowed. "Hail, Trevor Mullen, Son of Hephaestus, god of the forges, Lord of Fire."

Everyone else followed Chiron's example and bowed.

"Well Liam," someone called, "that's one down, two to go."

Liam scowled as Dante began to panic. Any minute now he was going to be claimed, and then it would be over. No one would look at him in the same way ever again.

"Very well," said Liam, "the boy has been deemed a Son of Hephaestus, but there is still the beautiful rose to deal with."

Danielle gagged. "I'm sorry? Did you just call me a beautiful rose? I know you didn't just do that."

Liam smiled in a way he must have thought irresistible. "And of course, she would need a place to sleep, and there are many empty beds in the Hermes cabin, and one even next to mine-,"

There was more gasping. Danielle saw a large image of a helmet floating above her head,

Chiron bowed and everyone followed suit, even Liam, who wore an expression that read, Oh, come on! Again?

"Hail Danielle Night," said Chiron, "Daughter of Hades, god of the underworld, Keeper of Souls."

Everyone stood and looked at Dante expectantly.

"Well?" sneered Liam. "Get it over with."

"This guy's like the Octavian of Camp Half-Blood," Jason said.

"I heard that!"

Everyone waited for a few moments. When nothing happened, they looked away.

"Humph," said Liam. "Looks like he's not so-,"

Once again, everyone gasped, and Liam had an expression like, Okay, you know what? I give up. Screw this!

But Dante wasn't laughing. Please, he thought, please. Not now. Not yet.

But he knew it was too late. Above Dante's head was the image of a black scythe with a handle made of bones, dark fire swirling round it.

Chiron and the campers bowed to Dante for the first – and perhaps last- time.

"Hail Dante Night," Chiron said gravely, "Son of Thanatos, god of death, Lord of the Shadows.

XXX

Okay guys, that's it for now, as always, if you got any questions, just ask.
WeAreYoungg, I shall answer your question next chapter, promise.
Alright people, bye says the shadowmeister!