Chapter Seven

I'd been at camp a month now. Jake was claimed by Demeter no less than two weeks ago and Leo's return story had become legend. Me? I was still living in Hermes cabin, battered and sore as ever but much stronger. Josephine was training me harder than ever and we'd become pretty much friends. Maggie and I were hanging out a lot more and I barely got to see Lucas because he was needed in so many meetings nowadays. My archery technique had grown poorer still and Will had almost given up hope. In the beginning he's given me hope by saying his aunt Artemis would take me if I was never claimed but if I never improved I'd never become a huntress. Pace had taken pity on me and let me drop wrestling because I'd only recently recovered from a fractured arm. It had really only been broken for a week because of the strange drink the nymphs were giving me, it tasted like the sweetest thing I'd ever had and they called it ambrosia. The only things I was good at was still sword and hand to hand combat.

The Aphrodite kids didn't take as many classes so Maggie and I both had a free period when I was suppose to be taking wrestling. We used this time to explore camp and meet new people. One of our favorite places to visit were the two cabins that were always empty, Hera and Artemis. They were beautiful cabins in very different ways. Hera's was very majestic with white marble floors, columns and beautiful blue and green peacocks etched into the ceiling. Artemis's on the other hand was very enchanting with silver decor and lots of glittering ornaments in the shape of deer, stars or other things on the walls, strung from the ceiling or clustered around bubbling crystal fountain. The Artemis cabin had actual beds inside that looked very comfortable and I wondered why Hera's didn't. I wanted very badly for Artemis to claim me but I knew that would never happen because Artemis pledged never to have kids.

It was on our third day of exploring that we discovered the cave. The cave looked like a cave from the outside and was at the very edge of camp so naturally we went inside. We were completely taken by surprise when we found the interior of the cave was decorated like an art studio with lots of easels, canvases and artwork hanging from the wall. There was even a flat screen TV hooked up to the wall. Then we saw the girl standing at one of the easels with extremely red curly hair. She smiled at us as if she was expecting we'd arrive any minute.

"Hi," she said, putting down her paintbrush in a cup of water. "I see you've found my cave."

"I'm sorry," I said instinctively. "We didn't mean to barge in, we though it was just a regular cave."

"It's okay," the redhead said as if this happened all the time. "My name is Rachel."

Rachel ended up being one of the heros of camp. She was the one behind the legend of the plastic hairbrush when she threw it of the titan lord Kronos. I was glad to finally meet her because it was one of my favorite campfire stories Percy told. Rachel was also to Oracle, I'd heard that story too, about how the oracle use to be this shriveled up mummy before Rachel inhabited the spirit. I thought that was pretty cool.

We ended up staying longer than we'd planned. Rachel served us lemonade and even asked me to pose for one of her quick sketches. It actually turned out pretty good, Rachel was an amazing artist. As we left she told us to come by soon and I agreed. Rachel reminded me of an old friend even though we'd only just met and she was a few years older than me, someone I could look up to.

After combat with Josephine she invited me back to her cabin to hang out and said Maggie could come too. It was then that I found out Dionysus was not only the god of wine but the god of parties too. His cabin was designed sort of like an arcade but a party too. The walls and floors were made of glowing multicolored tiles that faded with the music. Against the walls there were games like pac man and skeeball. There was a vending machine that was totally rigged so that we could pull any kind of snack out for free and a pop corn machine that filled the air with a buttery sent. The cabin even had it's own mini cinema in the back with velvet red chairs. All I can say is the cabin was pretty sweet.

"You get to live here?" Maggie said, rushing over to the pac man machine.

"Well I have to share it with my half brother Pollux, he sleeps over there," Josephine said, pointing to one of the two beds. "But yeah, pretty cool huh?"
"No kidding," I said pulling out a bag of freshly popped pop corn. "Why can't my parent hurry up and claim me?"

"Don't worry," Josephine said flopping down on her leopard print bed. "You have got to be claimed soon. It took a while for my dad to claim me and he saw me every day because he use to work here."

We surfed Netflix for a while before we heard the conch horn blow in the distance and knew it was time for dinner. I was starting to regret eating all that popcorn. Lucas met up with me before we sat down and persuaded me to sit with him at the Hephaestus cabin. Nobody gave me a second look and even helped hide me in the crowd. Any friend of Lucas was a friend of theirs, they said. Leo seemed to notice me and moved closer to Lucas.

"I see your friend is back Lucas," Leo said winking at me.

"Shouldn't you be up at the head table," Lucas said but gave him a half grin.

"Eh, I've gotten enough scolding from Annabeth this week," Leo shrugged. "She still won't let go the fact that I almost died. Hey did you hear that explosion from the forge an hour ago?" Leo asked, a look of excitement on his face.

"No way that was you," Lucas looked incredulous.

Leo nodded looking triumphant, "Everything completely scorched. Next time you should come down and together we can make an even bigger explosion."

Lucas grinned wickedly.

Just then the girl Lucas had rescued from the fire appeared looking much healthier. The Hephaestus kids gladly made room for her and she sat down next to Leo, smiling happily.

"Calypso," Leo said. "Have you met Lucas's friend Ella?"

"Very nice to meet you," Calypso said to me and I noticed for the first time something odd. There was something very strange about Calypso making her seem almost more than human. Lucas had something about there being an island named after her but I couldn't remember any stories.

After dinner we had a campfire. Percy and Annabeth made a few announcements concerning the disappearance of Chiron the camp activities director. He'd left on some important mission and was suppose to return weeks ago. After a few worried remarks we had our sing along and the wood nymphs did their dance. Then right as we were about to finish for the night a familiar hand grabbed my shoulder. It was Rachel a realized. She was grabbing at me to steady herself and it looked like she run a great distance in a short amount of time.

"Are you okay," I began to say before she gasped and green smoke erupted from her eyes and mouth.

The green glow inhabited her eyes and I wanted to fall backwards but I couldn't let Rachel hurt herself.

"She's giving a prophecy," Annabeth exclaimed rushing over and helping Rachel stand.

There was a murmur of excitement from the other demigods.

As Rachel's mouth opened, more green smoke billowed out.

"The forge and the dove she rise again,

Lead by the one that long was sought,

Met by the child born completely mad,

to reach the sun that fell from the stars,

and return unavenged the death of a lost."
Everyone was quiet as Rachel's eyes returned to normal and her mouth stopped billowing green smoke. She awoke in Annabeth's arms because in my fear I stumbled backwards.

"What did I say this time?" Rachel said, turning around. Everyone was staring at her.

"The dove and the forge," Percy said after someone had explained the prophecy to Rachel. "That's just like the prophecy Jason, Piper and Leo received last year isn't it."

The three of them made their way to the center of the campfire and faced the camp.

"The dove and the forge referred to me and Leo last time," Piper explained. "Does it mean we have another quest?"

Most of the campers agreed. I didn't know what to think. It made sense, two of the bravest demigods going on a quest. But against what? As as far as I knew we weren't at war with anyone and no one was plotting against us.

"Who's the one that long was sought?" Jason asked and it was the question everyone was thinking.

Some of the campers shouted out random answered but Annabeth seemed to make the most sense.

"It's probably you Percy or Jason," she said. "Both of you were sought after for a long time before we found you. One of you is supposed to go with Leo and Piper."

"I'll go," Jason said bravely. "We worked together before and Percy you need to take care of the camp while Chiron is still away.

"It is not to be you three," a voice said from the distance. All the campers suddenly directed their attention to a lone figure in the south. It looked like a man on horseback but as it got closer, I realized it was a man from the waist up and a horse from the waist down. This was Chiron the camp activities director everyone had been talking about it.

"Chiron!" Percy exclaimed rushing over to him. "Where have you been?"

"I had to pay a little visit to the fates," Chiron chuckled. "Had a bit more trouble getting out of the underworld than I'd hoped. Lord Hades has not been in a good mood these days."

Nico stirred.

"You went to the underworld," Annabeth asked, sounding surprised. "But why?"

"It does not matter why child," Chiron said wisely. "Just that I have seen a prophecy of my own and I know it is not to be the heros from before however brave they may be." His eyes glinted as he saw Leo. "Welcome back son of Hephaestus," he said and went to sit down in the middle of the camp fire. "Have I missed s'mores already?"

After camp fire I went back to the Hermes Cabin with the other kids, the prophecy still buzzing in my head. Chiron had given me an odd look with I'd seen him and I assumed it was only because he'd never met me before. I'd ask Lucas to introduce me the next morning so I could get the strange sensation out of my head. It was the same odd feeling I'd gotten when I saw Annabeth, like I had seen them before. I tried to shove it aside but it just kept coming back. I just couldn't explain it. What did the prophecy mean and who was it referring to?