Thanks for the review Cotix 14. Time for camp I think, read and review guys :)

The sign of the sleepy-head

I can't describe the sensation of riding the nightmare, but this is what I can say. The world around us seemed to blur in a blaze of fire and heat where all the people and places we passed just seemed like smoke in the wind.

I got the feeling that we were going very fast, but I couldn't tell as I couldn't see anything clearly. It was about three hours later that we seemed to reach our destination. The great beast was slowing down and a trail of fire sailed behind us becoming clearer and clearer as the smoky figures became reality.

We were on a hill.

"What's this place?" I asked turning to Merseus who had a look of relief on his face.

"Camp," he said and I couldn't tell whether he was more pleased to be allowed to get off the nightmare or that he was at this mysterious camp.

"Great scout meeting," I muttered.

I mean who joins a group that resides well over three hours away from their home?

Merseus half jumped and half fell to the floor in relief. He stumbled a little, but his legs seemed very agile. Especially for someone in his condition.

"I'll explain things later," said Merseus. "But first of all I haven't been entirely frank with you."

"No?" I feigned surprise.

I had begun to suspect there was something a little odd about my friend ever since he passed me that massive sword. I climbed down to the floor with it hanging loosely from my belt.

The ground was soft and the grass green, but all the same I felt a staggering in my legs as if gravity had only just caught up with me. We were near a pine tree. It stood a few metres to our right with a funny looking animal sniffing around the base of the tree. I don't know why, but I couldn't quite look at it properly.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Merseus interrupted my thoughts.

That was when he started stripping. He seemed to be attempting to remove his trousers with both grace and speed.

"Look," I said cringeing. "Whatever it is it's cool okay. There's no need to show me."

I was about to put my hand up to cover my eye when goat legs stepped out of the jeans. I stared in disbelief.

"Where did your legs go?" I asked not believing what I was seeing.

I circled the furry stumps looking for an answer, but nothing came to me.

"They're right here," he pointed to the goat legs.

"Okay," I said trying to play it cool.

Why did the sight of my hairy-legged friend discomfort me more than those evil birds?

"Look Jake, you're a demigod," said Merseus.

"I what?" I asked.

"You're a demigod he repeated impatiently.

"What's that?" I asked amused. "Some kind of half-god?"

My tone was mocking.

Merseus looked at me and I realised he wasn't lying.

"You've just been attacked by Stymphalian birds and I nightmare turns up as a means of transport," he said, but I needed little more convincing.

A voice shouted to us from down in the valley. It was a girl with wavy bronze hair that seemed to reflect the sun. It almost glowed in the afternoon sun. Her skin was lightly tanned as if she'd spent most of the summer outside. She was thin and wiry as she made her way up to us and a bright orange T-shirt read CAMP HALF-BLOOD.

I tried to put all the God stuff out of my head when I realised I hadn't eaten for a while and wondered if they had food here. The girl approached us at a leisurely running pace and was soon standing in front of us. Tactfully the first thing I said was:

"Hey, where's the food?"

She laughed at that which I was pretty glad about. I didn't want to get off to a bad start when I'd only just arrived.

"I'll show you in a minute," she said. "I'm Lisa by the way."

"Cool," I said and shook her outstretched hand.

Merseus muttered something about capital Ds or something and Lisa changed the conversation.

"I think we need to take you to see Mr D," she said.

"Who?" I asked.

It sounded like someone out of Words and pictures. I nearly laughed, but the look in Merseus' eyes made me think twice.

"Let's go," he said simply.

With that the three of us set off down the hill to a big old house. I waved good-bye to Blazer, but she was already gone.

Strawberries for sale read a faded sign on the side of the house, but on the porch I could see two figures. One was a brown-haired man in a wheelchair with a pack of cards in his hands and the other was a fat, oversized image of a bouncy hopper that suggested to me this guy had drunk a little too much in his time.

I looked back and forth between them trying to decide which of these fine specimens of humanity was the illustrious Mr D who could strike fear into the heart of Merseus.

I walked next to Merseus, he was looking shifty and on edge at the idea of going to talk to these two figures. Lisa however confidently led the way down towards the wooden porch.

It was a nice brown colour in the sun, but it looked old and I had to admit I was a little afraid that the structure might collapse, but it seemed to be holding out okay.

"Who's this?" asked the fat guy as we approached.

"This is Jake Dallaway," said Merseus. I now understood why there was a bleating sound in his voice.

"Of any importance?" asked the man as if I wasn't there. I was beginning to get the feeling that this potato was Mr D. "Never mind," he said before anyone could answer. "Now Jackie Dalton. Welcome to camp Half-blood, blah-di-blah-di-blah and so on and so forth. You're a demigod. Enjoy your stay."

The last part of his speech seemed to pain him as though he was going against his own personal morals. It was a brief monologue and when it was over Lisa seemed to think it was best we got out of there.

Merseus showed no less enthusiasm for vacating the porch.

"We'll talk more later young Jake," the wheelchair man called after me.

Although he wasn't in his wheelchair anymore. He had the body of a horse and such power and beauty that would shame a jumbo jet. I felt a little light-headed. This all seemed like a dream.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

Lisa turned to me.

"To the..."

She stopped short.

"What?" I asked looking over my shoulder immediately. I didn't want some monster to jump out of nowhere and start attacking me again. But there was nothing. "What?" I asked again, but more persistently.

We were now standing in the middle of an increasing crowd of spectators. A chattering had started up amongst them and they were all looking at a point just above my head.

"The closed eye," murmured Lisa.

I looked up, and sure enough, rippling with purple and navy veins was the picture of a closed eye.

Three guesses who the godly parent is, for both of the demigods ;)