DESIREE

"What? This is insane!" I started yelling at Romeo "This is a suicide mission!"

"Don't you think I know that?" he started yelling at me. "Wouldn't you do anything to help your family? Because that's what I'm doing! You're lucky because you have this big family! My dad is all I've got and I'm not losing him! If you don't want to come, that's up to you but I remembered that you'd promise me you'd help me! Now, why aren't you trying to help me?"

"To be honest, I'm scared." I said my voice starting to tremble "Last night was the first time my family was attack by a monster outside of camp for millennia. I've never even been on a quest. And it also sounds impossible. A canyon is big. It will take us forever to find that medallion and your dad will be long gone by then."

"If you help me, it will be a possibility." He said giving me a little hope. "I know someone who can help us at my camp. Her name is Hazel and she can control minerals from the earth. If we ask her to help us, she can help us find the medallion."

"Were seriously doing this?" I ask him still sounding doubtful.

"Well I'm in. I'd do anything to help you and I've always wanted to go to a quest" Oliver said.

"Fine I'm in too, it's a good thing I'm wearing jeans today. But we can't take the nectar and ambrosia." I told them "My dad might wonder why portions are missing."

"We can't travel without it." Romeo said a little disappointed. "Maybe your dad won't mind if you write him a note."

"I think I know where we could get some." Oliver said "But we need to take a detour to New York."

"You mean will get them at camp?" I said "Good, I'll call Chiron to tell him we're coming and I have a couple of weapons at my cabin too. First I'll have to write a note for dad to tell him we're leaving."

I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and wrote:

Dear Dad,

If you're wondering where I am, I am going on a quest to help save Mr. Valentino because Romeo forced me to. I promise you I will be back soon. And don't worry about school. The next couple of days were declared holidays, so we'll try to come back before class returns.

Your loving daughter,

Desiree

I stuck the note on the fridge with a magnet and I went to the back yard and turned on the hose. I blocked the water's exit with my thumb to make it look misty and I aimed it at some sunlight. It created a rainbow and I took a gold drachma out of my pocket and threw it at the rainbow and said "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering, Chiron at Camp Half-Blood."

Then the mist shimmered into an image of a man who looked like he was riding on a horse but actually he is the horse. Chiron is a centaur. The only centaur you will ever know who has a brain or manners. From the waist up, he looks like a professor at a university. But from the waist down, it was a horse's body.

"Chiron!" I called at him.

He turned around and saw me. "Desiree, may I ask why you are calling me?"

"Oliver and I are coming to camp. We're also bringing a friend." I told him.

"And who is this friend of yours?" he asked again.

"He's my neighbor." I told him "I just found out last night that he's a demigod."

"Isn't it the beginning of the school year?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"It is actually." I answered him.

"Then why are you coming here?" he asked one more time.

The sun was starting to disappear behind a cloud.

"I'll explain everything when we get there." I told him. Then the message was over.

I turned the hose off and went to my room just to grab a few things. I grabbed a big backpack just in case. I grabbed my dagger and just a few t-shirts. I wasn't really sure if we had time to change. Though I could just keep my pants and sneakers on, I do not want to wear the same t-shirt for the next few days.

My bag was still really light, which was a good things because I needed space for the things we'll need when we get to the camp. When I was finished I went back downstairs, to find the boys ready to go.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" I asked Oliver.

"I already have a couple of things in the car." He told me "But I still need a couple of things from the camp."

"Are you ready?" I asked Romeo because he will be the team leader for this mission and I hope we won't chicken out.

"Ready as I'll ever gonna be." He replied.

He sighed to let out his anxiety and said to Oliver "First things first, where did you park the car?"

"It's parked outside your house." He said.

"We can't go to his house and risk my dad seeing us." I told them "If he sees us he'll wonder what were up to and make us stop. My dad can be pretty persuasive when he likes to be."

"We need a diversion." Romeo said while thinking of a strategy. "How about this? Oliver, you go to your car and drive to the corner up the street, going away from my house. If Dr. Jones sees you, just say that you're going home. Then when he goes back inside and the coast is clear, the two of us, me and Des, will walk to that corner and get inside your car. How does that sound?"

"You've made your mother proud. Let's do it." I told him and we executed his plan. I have to say that nothing went wrong with his plan. It went exactly like I imagined it. Oliver walked up to his car and dad came out to see what he was doing. Then they waved goodbye. He drove pass my house and up to the corner. Dad went back inside to continue fixing Romeo's house. When he was out of sight, even through the windows, we quickly ran to the corner and got in the car.

"I can't believe my plan worked." Romeo said proud of himself.

"Next stop… Long Island Sound, New York." Oliver announced and we drove off.

It took us about three to four hours to get there. We did have to cross two states, Connecticut and Rhode Island. We got inside the forest and came to a hill which all we Greek demigods know as Half-Blood Hill. We drove pass it and a few campers went near the car. Two demigods welcomed us to the camp. One was a boy with green eyes and black hair. The other was a girl with curly blond hair and stormy gray eyes. Those two were Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase.

"Hey, Des." Annabeth greeted me. "What are you doing here? Isn't school starting already?"

"Actually, I'm here to get a few supplies." I told her coming out of the car "I'm going to accompany a friend of mine to New Mexico."

"Then why do you have to go here then?" Percy asked me confused.

"Because my dad was kidnapped by an ancient vampire." Romeo came out of the car and told everyone.

"Ancient vampire?" Annabeth asked also confused. "Who are you? I haven't seen you here before?"

"I'm Romeo Valentino and I'm the son of Minerva." He told her while showing her a tattoo on his arm which I did not see before. His tattoo showed the letter 'SPQR' with an owl above it and two stripes below it.

"Oh, I see." She said "We should probably go to the Big House. Percy, go call Chiron."

"When did you get that?" I asked Romeo.

"You haven't seen this last night? Well maybe you were too distracted." he told me "I had this for two years now. That's why I have these two stripes."

We walked to the Big House while admiring the scenery. Oliver volunteered to get the nectar and ambrosia at the camp store. He left us and we kept walking up to the big blue barn house.

"This view never get's old." I sighed.

"It's so different from Camp Jupiter." He told me. "My camp is so strict and military like, while here it's so free and loose."

We came to the Big House and we went to the parlor. Inside, we saw a man on a wheelchair, which was Chiron's human disguise, Rachel Elizabeth Dare with her fiery red hair, who was our oracle, Percy and Annabeth.

"Hello there, Desiree." Chiron greeted me "It's good to see you. And you must be her friend."

"I am. I'm Romeo Valentino. And by the way you're looking at my arm; I think you know where I'm from."

"I do." Chiron said. "I'm also glad that I can finally talk about it. You came from Camp Jupiter the camp for Roman demigods."

"You said you were the son of Minerva." Percy said "So you're technically Annabeth's brother. She's the daughter of Athena."

Romeo started shifting in his seat. "Look, the reason we came here is to get a couple of supplies."

"You said that your dad was captured by an ancient vampire." Annabeth said "The monsters that have the qualities of a vampire are Empusa, Mormo, and Lamia. Did any of those monsters kidnap your dad?"

"Yes, Lamia is the one that captured my dad." Romeo said. He pulled out his letter and gave it to Chiron.

"How was your father involved with the monster?"Chiron asked.

"I don't know." He answered him "But I guess he was the last to keep her medallion because he threw it away in the Chelly Canyon in Arizona."

"Do you think this is where she is right now?" I asked Romeo.

"I don't think so." He said thinking. "Remember when we were attacked by one of her minions?"

"How can I forget? It was yesterday." I told him like it should be obvious because it was a very recent event.

"I actually had a nightmare about it two nights ago." He told us. "I was fighting this monster bat thing but in the background there was a faint sound of jazz music. It actually made it scarier because what I've learned in school about music in America. In New Orleans, jazz music is usually played when there's a funeral."

"How can you be so sure it could be in New Orleans?" Rachel asked "Sure, they play jazz music during funerals but they always play jazz music every day."

"That's exactly why I think it's there." Romeo said standing up. "What other place plays jazz music every day?"

"It makes sense." I said "The one that attacked us had a New Orleans accent."

All of a sudden we heard hissing noises and it was coming from Rachel's direction. Green smoke started to circle around her. Her eyes were glowing and when she spoke, it sounded raspy and coarse.

"To territories unknown you shall cross

At the land of stones to search what is lost

Go south to the land of festivals and songs

To rescue a loved one and return what was lost to where it belongs"

"Was that normal? The thing that she did." Romeo asked shaken up.

"Sorry." Rachel apologized "There wasn't time to warn you. It just wanted to say something really bad."

"Warn me about what?" Romeo asked confused "and what's the it you're talking about."

"I'm the camp's oracle and I give prophecies to people going on quest." Rachel explained. "The thing that just happened was me giving you a prophecy. The spirit of the Oracle of Delphi lives within me and sometimes it just blurts out prophecies whenever it likes. Don't you have and oracle where you're from?"

"Well, no we don't have an oracle." Romeo said "We have an augur that tells us our prophecies."

"An ogre?" Rachel asked confused "Isn't that a monster?"

"No Rachel, he meant augur." Annabeth explained to Rachel. "It has a different spelling from the monster. An augur is a priest that reads prophecies using animal internal organs. We've actually met their augur and he was not very nice. But instead of killing an animal for its internal organs, he kills innocent stuff toys and reads its stuffing."

"That's so sad." Rachel said.

"How is Octavian anyway?" Percy asked.

"He's still as annoying as ever." Romeo answered. "He's still torturing stuff toys and trying to get the praetor ship. The usual."

"It's nice to hear some things never change." Percy said sarcastically.

"Well we've already heard the prophecy and some parts are very clear." Chiron said. "Most of what was in the prophecy was inside your father's letter. I would advise you to eat lunch first before you go."

Just as he said lunch the horn blew and all of us walked out of the Big House and headed straight to the Dining Pavilion. Romeo just followed where we were all going since he has never been here before.

"So where do you want to sit?" I asked him.

"He could sit with me at the Athena table." Annabeth offered. "But if you feel uncomfortable with me and the others, you could sit with Chiron at the front table. I don't think he would mind."

"You are very welcomed to join us at our table." Chiron gestured.

"Thank you for the offer Chiron but I think I'll sit with Annabeth. No offense but if I sit in the front table, a lot of people will stare and I'm not very comfortable with that." Romeo said.

"And this is coming from a guy who loves performing in front of thousands of people." I told everyone.

"Well not a thousand, maybe a hundred, possibly five hundred." He interjected.

"Then our table it is." Annabeth said "I'm actually the head of the cabin. So I'll make sure nobody says anything bad about you during lunch."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Romeo thanked awkwardly.

"Don't you worry our table is just beside theirs just sit on the left side so we could be nearer and you won't feel uneasy when you get there." I told him.

We saw Oliver heading toward us.

"Hey guys." He called to us. "I got the supplies. When do we leave?"

"After lunch." I told him.

"Good, because I'm starving." He said holding his stomach.

We got to the pavilion and we sat at our tables. Romeo took my advice and we were sitting back to back. I heard many welcomes at the Athena table and I hope he doesn't feel too awkward with his Greek siblings.

"Hey Desiree." My senior counselor, Piper, greeted me. "What are you doing here so very early?"

Piper wasn't like any of the other Aphrodite kids, just like me. But that's where the similarities stop. Unlike me, she's more down to earth. She doesn't do much effort about how she looks. And she's the only one I know in the cabin who has a kaleidoscope for eyes.

"I'm actually on a quest to help rescue my friend's dad from a blood sucking monster." I answered her.

"Oh my gods, that's awful." She said sympathetically "I should know, my dad was kidnapped a few years ago… well it's kind of a long story and you don't have time to hear it do you."

"Sorry, but I am on a tight schedule." I told her "But I'd love to hear it by next summer."

Then Chiron stomped his hooves on the floor to silence everyone. "Settle down campers. I have an announcement to make. As you all know Desiree has come back to camp a little too early with Oliver, one of our own satyrs"

Oliver stood up.

"And her friend Romeo Valentino." Romeo also stood up.

"Romeo is actually from Camp Jupiter and he is the son of Minerva, who we all know as Athena. That is why he is seated right now at the Athena table. I hope you welcome him with proper decency. But let me inform you that he will not be staying with us. He is just here to pick up a few supplies and be on his way."

Then someone in the Ares table, I think it was Clarisse, shouted "Why does he need our supplies? Why couldn't he get it from his own camp?"

Then Romeo stood back up and faced the table to address them. "Because it is on the other side of the country and I am on a quest to save my father from become a monster's drinking dispenser. Your camp was the closest to get supplies. I came from Boston and I'm also Desiree's neighbor. Your oracle has already given me a prophecy and in your standards it means it is an official quest. If you are wondering who or what this creature is, we believe it is Lamia the vampire of your period. I am no fan of the creatures and I will enjoy destroying as much of them as possible. Somehow before I was born she had a relationship with my father so he could become her snack. They say she had a medallion that she gives to her prey and which my father threw away in a canyon in Arizona. All I or we have to do is find the medallion and give it back her. We believe that she is in New Orleans and we plan to find out. I already have a strategy for this mission and I also plan on bringing my father back alive." And he sat back down with many confused people looking at him.

"Thank you for that statement Mr. Valentino." Chiron said "Continuing with the announcements. Some of you may wonder where Mr. D may be. He was called back to Olympus to see his progress on his probation. That is all and we may now begin."

The nymphs and some satyrs brought our food to the tables. Then all of us went to the braziers to give the burnt offerings. I also asked the gods to help us through this quest which I still think is impossible. We went back to our tables and while eating I was also talking to Romeo.

"Hey, who was that person who just did that speech?" I said talking back to back.

"That's the Roman way of addressing a large group of people in discussion." He told me.

"But this isn't a discussion." I pointed out. "This is lunch."

"I know." He said. "I just wanted them to know that I'm business and no one will get in my way in rescuing my dad. Not even stupid vampires."

When lunch was over, I went to my cabin to get a few things I left behind. Romeo and Oliver followed me to the cabins.

"What is your system of cabins?" Romeo asked "Because I notice that each one is very different from the other."

"Our cabins are divided by parent." I told him

"So you sleep with your siblings?" he asked "Back in our camp, we sleep in barracks with your cohort who are demigods of different parentage."

"Well, at least it's less lonely." I told him "For example, Percy is the only son of Poseidon, or Neptune as you call him, so he sleeps in Cabin Three, Poseidon's cabin, the one that looks like it was naturally formed from coral." I point it for him.

"And there is another camper, who usually comes and goes whenever he likes, named Nico di Angelo." I continued. "He's the son of Hades, or Pluto, and he stays at the cabin that looks like an entrance to the Underworld. Since, they're the only kids of the Big Three we know who lives here, they don't have any other sibling so they stay alone in their cabins. Oliver already knows this but between you and me, sometimes I see Annabeth sneak in there to 'visit' Percy at night."

"Wait, you said Nico right?" Romeo asked me.

"Yeah, why?" I asked back.

"Well, there's another Nico I know that's also a son of Pluto in our camp who also comes and goes. We usually call him the Ambassador of the Underworld."

I asked him how this other Nico looked like "Does he have olive skin, black hair, wears dark clothes and an aviator's jacket?"

"Yeah." He answered.

"Well, maybe it's the same Nico and maybe this is where he is when he's not there and he is there when we wonder why he's not here." I concluded

We finally got to my cabin, which I still think needs to be redone again because it was way too pink and Piper will agree with me on that. I told the boys to wait for me outside so I can get a few stuff. I went inside to see no one is there. They're probably doing their activities right now, I thought to myself. I walked to my trunk which is always at the foot of my bunk. I opened it up to find it empty, since I wasn't even supposed to be there right now. I pressed a secret button, which was hiding near the handle, to open the secret compartment that hid weapons designed by my genius cousins, Blaire and Blaine. I took out a small crossbow that fired special arrows they created. I also took out a ring that when you twist it, it turns into a shield. I didn't bring all of them just the things that looked essential for our survival. But the most essential thing we needed was wooden weapons and my cousins didn't make any of them in wood. I didn't also think the other Hephaestus kids had wooden weapons either. Then I thought of Oliver and the other satyrs who use wooden weapons.