Chapter Two

Getting to Camp

The Quarterlings decided that it was best to take a train ride to Brooklyn. They needed the time to talk, so they got on at the closest station and chose a loud compartment, so that nobody would hear their conversation.

"Please tell me that you're as confused as I am." Rupert asked the others.

"You're confused? What?" Fredrick asked sarcastically. "Like we've never heard that before."

Rupert shot him a glare, and he quieted down.

"What we're going to have to do is know our Greek gods." Jonah instructed, laying out a mythology book he had borrowed from Eliza.

"So are we just going to pretend that we haven't just been told that these exist?" Rupert complained. "Or that we're supposed to infiltrate their camp?"

There was silence for a while. Jeremiah decided to organize his Mythomagic cards to pass the time. (Jonah hadn't stopped him. Due to his obsession with that game, he knew the Greek spirits best.)

"We're not going to pretend that, Rupert." Eliza finally said. "But we are going to do what the angels told us. Elohim has a plan, I'm sure. When we look back on it, we're going to be laughing at how confused we were."

Rupert rolled his eyes and scooted over to help Jeremiah sort his cards.

Julia suddenly materialized next to them from out of the Hidden Realm. She was right next to Jonah, who jumped back, very startled. Julia smirked at him.

"I checked the train." she reported. "Only a few Fallen Angels, but they didn't seem to be here for us."

Eliza nodded. "Good."

Julia sat down next to Jonah, flipping her ponytail.

"Right, quick run-through of the Greek gods again?" Frederick asked, prompting an eye-roll from Eliza and Rupert.

"Zues is the King, and the god of the sky." Eliza began. "His kids can fly and summon lightning. Poseidon's kids have power over water, as he's the god of the sea. Hades is the lord of the underworld, as Greek mythology states, and his children can summon skeletons, open gaps in the ground, stuff like that. They're the big three, but they swore not to have children after World War II. However, some of them broke that oath. Zues has a son at Camp Half-Blood, named Jason, and a daughter named Thalia. Poseidon has a son named Percy."

"How do you know about this?" Jeremiah asked, mystified.

Eliza patted him on the head. "While you guys were complaining and packing your things, I went to talk to Camilla. She told me everything."

Rupert shot her a surprised look. "So you know everything about their children?"

"Everything Camilla knows." Eliza shrugged. "Hera is the Queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage, so obviously she doesn't have any demigods. Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, forever rejected men, and leads a group called the Hunters of Artemis. Any mortals, demigods or nymphs can join and be immortal. They only loose their immortality if they die in battle or break their oath not to fall in love. That's where Thalia is. Artemis's twin brother Apollo, however, has kids, but Camilla didn't know what powers they have. The Hermes kids, like their dad, are excellent thieves and travelers. Ares, the war god, has kids there, and they are very violent and strong."

Everyone glanced at Frederick before looking away. Frederick was pretending to take air-notes. Eliza didn't notice.

"Dionysus, the god of wine, has kids there, but he's mostly the Camp Counselor– don't look like that, Jonah, he's not allowed to have wine in the camp. His kids, like Demeter's kids, can grow plants, but I think it was just grape plants. Not sure, though."

"Demeter?" Frederick asked.

"Goddess of nature." Eliza responded. "The children of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, are supposed to be beautiful, and some of them can charmspeak– meaning they can just talk to you and get you to obey their commands. The children of Hephaestus are very good with tools, and very rarely one will pop up with fire abilities, as Hephaestus is the god of blacksmithing and fire. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, so her kids are smart, but they're all born out of Athena's head– don't ask, Jeremiah, I don't know– and all have blonde hair and gray eyes."

"So neither you or Rupert." Frederick noted.

"Dang." Rupert said. "I'd love to be in a Cabin with children of high intellect."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and get stuck in the Hephaestus cabin." Eliza noted cheerily.

Jeremiah snickered and continued with his card game.

"There are minor gods there, too, but our train ride is coming to a stop." Eliza noted.

Jeremiah started packing up his cards, and everyone grabbed their bags.

It was now or never.

The monsters attacked when they were heading up the hill to camp.

"Look out!" Eliza screamed at Jonah, who ducked. Something went flying over Jonah's head. Jonah whirled around to stare at it, and saw some sort of... unnatural thing. It was mostly human, but had red wings coming out of its arms. It hissed, and Jonah immediately prayed and entered the Hidden Realm. He pulled out his angelblade and ran at the girl. The animal took one look at it and flew away, catapulting this time for Jeremiah. Jonah ran at it, but Frederick beat him to it, slashing at it with his own angelblade. The bird-human-thing dissolved into dust.

"What was that?" Jonah asked.

"A harpy." said Eliza's voice behind him. Jonah looked around and saw Eliza had entered the Hidden Realm with them, and she had her angelblade out. Julia, Jeremiah and Rupert ran ahead, and Eliza followed them, prompting the other boys to do the same. "They're in Greek Mythology. They must be our first monsters!"

She sounded a lot more excited then scared. Another one jumped at Jeremiah, but Eliza slashed it into dust. Jonah glanced behind him and saw what looked like a storm of harpies flying towards them, not looking too happy. "Eliza..."

Jeremiah looked back and noticed the harpies. He started screaming for help, as did Julia and Rupert.

"They're getting the attention of the camp!" Eliza told them. "Look!"

Jonah glanced behind him and saw a couple of kids in orange t-shirts running down the hill. They had a couple of swords with them. However, a harpy jumped at Jonah, and Jonah fell onto the ground. The harpy dug into his shoulder, but Jonah turned it into dust. Hitting a couple more of the monsters on the way to his feet, Jonah ran at the entrance to the camp. A girl with dark brown hair and a sandy-blonde boy were rushing Julia, Jeremiah and Frederick in there, and the harpies chasing them bounced off the air around it. They hissed and flew back to attack the kids in the HR.

Jonah jumped at the barrier, but bounced off of it like the harpies. Frederick came up behind him and helped him to his feet. Jonah felt like an idiot for falling down so much.

"We can't go in while we're in the Hidden Realm." Jonah guessed, and prayed out. Once out, he ran through the barrier and tumbled down the hill. "Ow!" he muttered, standing up and clutching his shoulder.

"Where did you come from?" asked the blonde-haired boy, but Jonah took a glance at his shoulder. It seemed to be bleeding.

"Jonah's hurt!" Jeremiah wailed, and Jonah crumpled to his knees.

He blacked out.