Astra's Pov

The camp was absolutely beautiful. The first thing my eyes landed on were the strawberry fields. The fresh, juicy red fruit were ready to be picked. I could see the Arena and the Armory, which Nico pointed out to me, and the volleyball courts and a lake. The vibrant green hills sloped in a distance, looking like a camp right out of the perfectly illustrated pages of a fairytale. There was an Amphitheater-Nico said that everyone gathers there at night for the sing along that is led by the Apollo cabin-a Mess Hall where everyone ate, and a massive climbing wall with lava pouring over the sides, challenging every demigod who dared to look at it.

I was overwhelmed. It made sense; only a place so magnificent could house the warriors of the Gods. I stared at the Armory and the Arena as we passed them on the way to the cabins. A wave of nausea (along with a small bit of excitement) hit me as soon as the realization did; I was going to have to train here and learn how to fight.

It's not that I was scared-my father has taught me how to use the many weapons that he valued. I was just sickened by the thought that all of this was real, and I was a part of it, not even knowing how I was apart of it.

I swallowed, glancing at the Arena one last time as I thought about how my father must've learned there. Most of the things he taught me must've originated from there. Now I was here, and although it was unnerving, there was kind of a feeling of completeness about it.

Nico was an exceptional tour guide, even though I forget he's there most of the time. He hasn't said much, keeping quiet except when there's something important he thinks he should point out. I watched him secretly as we walked, examined his sharp features from where his cheekbones looked sunken in. He wasn't very tall, but by looking at his dark and brooding eyes I would've guessed he was in his twenties.

"How old are you," I say abruptly, my curiosity getting the best of my shyness.

He glances at me with a shallowness in his deep eyes. "Fourteen."

My jaw dropped. He continued staring forward as he walked, so he didn't see me gaping at him. At this news, I looked closely at his face, wondering how someone so young could look so tortured and wise. "Oh," I managed to say, shocked. "I assumed you were older."

We walk for a few more minutes in silence, but with him (a literal skeleton that apparently has something against conversation) it feels like hours. I can see buildings ahead of us of all different shapes and sizes, colors and designs. They were all a lined together to create the shape of a big horse shoe, and next to that, more buildings made a smaller horse shoe shape.

After what seemed like ages, we reach the Hermes cabin-a tall building that looked like a log cabin. There were people in there, the oldest one maybe eighteen, the youngest eleven. They were all milling about the cabin like maniacs. Two girls who looked about thirteen were switching the labels of hair removal and shampoo with malicious grins on their faces. They caught me looking and one of them raised a finger to their mouth to ensure I didn't say anything about it. I nodded in fear and quickly looked to my right to see most of the boys in the cabin playing with a Nintendo or some other gaming device. The place was a mess with all sorts of unnecessary junk littering the floor. Bunk beds and sleeping bags were all over the place. The cabin smelled oddly of cheese.

"If you had any sense at all, you would stay close to me," Nico said, not having to tell me twice. The place gave me the chills. I stuck to close to his side, but not too close, for he also gave me chills. Except from him, it was different. Next to him, I felt oddly like...well, like death. I wondered who his godly parent was, and which cabin was his. Even in a place as hectic as the Hermes cabin, everyone somehow looked correlated with one another, like siblings do. As I walked around camp with Nico, I didn't see anybody who gave off the same dark vibe, or wore the same goth clothes he did.

A tall redheaded boy skipped over to us. He looked at me and Nico with a warm, friendly smile."Hey, Nico. What's up?"

"We were told you had clothes for our new camper, Astra," Nico said, indicating me with his hands.

The ginger glanced at me and winked."I'm Connor, co-captain for the Hermes cabin." I shook his extended hand. "Right this way."

Connor returned with an orange backpack with the logo I saw on the campers' tee-shirt on the front: Camp Half-Blood Long Island Sound. There was a horse with wings on its back beneath the lettering. Pegasus, maybe? I've seen enough mythical movies involving them, I even had a stuffed pegasus as a toddler. Did they have those here too? I started to become more excited.

I thanked Connor and Nico and I left. Once we were outside, Nico almost smiled. Almost. "If I had to take a guess, your mother would be Aphrodite. You got more attention from those Hermes boys than even Elle could muster."

"Really?" I Sid with a blush. I didn't notice. However, I did notice that I was still covered in dirt from my battle with the Hydra. "I thought Elle was the daughter of Apollo."

"She is," he said. "Great granddaughter of Aphrodite, remember? The Aphrodite relation is thin, but she has guys breaking their backs just to see her smile."

"Probably doesn't have anything to do with Aphrodite," I commented. "I would like to see a smile on her, too, as opposed to her frown."

We walked across the big horse shoe to a cabin dressed in a sophisticated gray color with a number 6 on the wooden door. Nico knocked lightly, which I found odd. At the Hermes cabin, he walked right in. Here, he showed more respect, and once the door opened, I realized why. This wasn't a cabin: it was a nest of geniuses. We walked inside to be greeted by a tall blonde boy with glasses. He introduced himself as Malcom.

Nico explained the situation to Malcom and I let myself wander around. As I walked in, the cabin seemed quaint, but from inside, it was massive. The whole place looked like it housed mini Einsteins. Lining the walls were bookshelves, and above them were many different gadgets put on display like shields, helmets, and whatnot. In one corner was a elongated table that was against the wall, where many campers sat on stools, using lamps on the table to oversee their work. Circular tables covered in loose sketches and half filled coffee cups were placed around the cabin, along with some cozy reading nooks as well as couches and chairs. I noticed how there were no TVs, like there was in the Hermes cabin. The only technology there that didn't look invented or highly advanced was some laptops. And despite this disorder, everything seemed so clean and methodical. All of the campers were consumed in their own projects, and the cabin seemed to move together with a calming, thoughtful flow. It was like a condensed Yale.

Malcom lead me towards a spiral staircase over by the reading nooks, in front of the bathrooms (which Malcolm found very important to point out). He took me up the steps with Nico trailing behind us.

Upstairs, there was a spread of bunk beds, two in each section, each section accessible by six narrow walkways down the middles. Each section was separated by a floor-to-ceiling dresser, with a bedside table in between each bed. As we walked past each section, I noticed how each camper had personalized their own section. For instance, the cabin had hard wood floors and white walls, and most campers brought in their own rugs or hung posters and things. Every section had their own unique bedding, or knickknacks hanging from the bedposts. Every section was stylized to fit everyones personality, and even then everything seemed so organized and planned to look in sync.

I followed the boys down the middle aisle and to the right, where in the very corner, in a section against a wall, was an empty space. There were two bunkbeds there, but no one had claimed either of them. "Take your pick," Malcolm said as he gestured to the two bunkbeds. "Feel free to get comfortable while you're here, even if it is only temporary. I'll leave you to it."

He walked off, and I chose the bunkbed closest to the wall. At the end of every aisle was a wide window, and I liked the light shining on my bed. Nico helped me put the clothes from the Hermes cabin in the dresser, and some of my other belongings in the trunk at the foot of my bed. Johnny had found my bow and arrow in the woods, and I smiled gratefully as I placed it in the trunk.

When we had walked towards my section, I noticed that the upstairs was mostly vacant. But as I unloaded my backpack, I heard footsteps. I peeked out into the aisle from behind the dresser and saw Annabeth walking towards us. She had a boy with her, a really tall, handsome boy with tan skin and dark hair. I blushed as soon as I saw him, gulping as I noticed how hot he was. I turned around and ran onto the bottom bunk, trying to act natural for when they appeared.

"Hey, Astra," Annabeth said as she arrived to my section. "I see you found your section."

"With Malcolm's help," I said, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Nico placing a t-shirt into my dresser. "And Nico, of course." His head raised at his name, surprised at the mention.

"Good. Is there anything we can help with?"

The boy with her stuck out his hand. "I'm Percy Jackson. Nice to meet you, Astra."

"Nice to meet you, too," I said, trying not to focus on how he knew my name, or how soft his skin was, or what a beautiful shade of green his eyes were. "And we're just putting the things the camp provided into drawers," I said to answer Annabeth's question.

They started to help, Annabeth folding clothes with Nico and Percy helping me with my hunting stuff that Johnny had retrieved. "Granddaughter of Athena, huh?" he said. I nodded. He laughed slightly, "If I didn't know any better, I would say you belonged to Artemis."

Annabeth and Nico laughed at this comment, but I was confused. "What do you mean 'if you didn't know any better'?"

Percy shrugged like it was obvious. "She's a maiden. Hates men. All men except me, of course."

I saw Annabeth roll her eyes. "Why doesn't she have kids?"

Annabeth butt in, probably better at explaining things than Percy was. "She is a strong believer in women independence. Thinks that men steal their power and render them no good at anything besides childbirth. She is a very powerful woman figure. It's just who she is."

"But there has to be some reason why she hates men like this," I pushed, curious in the goddess of the hunt.

"There are many tales," Annabeth said with a shrug. "Here, all mythology is real, but that doesn't mean that all stories are. Artemis is the virgin goddess. It is just who she is. She has a pack of hunters, all granted immortality if they swear to be her sisters and reject men."

I saw Percy and her share a glance, something passing between them at the mention of the Hunters of Artemis. I shyly looked away, feeling as if it was too intense and personal to watch. I didn't have to know they were boyfriend and girlfriend: there was a tacit vibrancy that passed through them, so strong I could feel the power of their love.

"To sum it up," Nico said. "It is impossible you're a child of Artemis."

"Then again," Percy said. "You all thought it was impossible for there to be a child of the Big Three, but here Nico and I sit."

"Big Three?" I asked, feeling stupid for asking so many questions.

"Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades," Annabeth said. "They produce more powerful children so they vowed back in the 30's not to have kids in order to maintain balance. But Percy is Poseidon's and Nico is Hades'. Zeus has a daughter named Thalia in Artemis' hunt. The three of them are the exception I guess."

I glanced at Nico. That made a lot of sense.

"To be fair," said Nico. "My father didn't break the vow. I was born before they agreed on that."

I blinked at him. "Before? You said you're only 14."

"Lotus Hotel and Casino," Nico said casually.

Percy looked at me with wide eyes. "Don't ask." Annabeth nodded in agreement, visibly shaking at the mention.

I stood up from where I had been organizing my trunk, walking over to examine the calendar hanging above the bedside table. I scanned the days with furrowed eyebrows.

"What's the date?" I asked.

"Seventeenth." Annabeth answered.

I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief at the uncanniness.

Nico walked over to look at the calendar with me. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"My...my, uh, birthday was yesterday. I was unconscious on my birthday." I laughed again. "I guess I'm fifteen now."

"Unconscious on your fifteenth?" Percy said. "That's got to suck. No birthday cake?"

"I'm sorry," Annabeth chimed in. "Happy belated birthday, by the way."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Annabeth glanced at her watch. "Percy, we have to be at the arena in 5 minutes," she told him. They stood to leave. "I'm sorry, we're teaching some beginners. You should come!"

"I think I'm just going to try and get settled in," I said, too scared of the idea of jumping into this life so soon. I wasn't ready to learn how to fight, not like this. I wasn't ready to learn how to fight monsters. "Thank you for your help."

"No problem," Percy said. They said their goodbyes, and then they left.

Nico helped me unpack for a few more minutes in silence. When we were done-which didn't take very long considering I didn't bring much with me-Nico stood up to leave. I walked with him to the stairs.

"There's a game of Capture the Flag tonight," Nico mentioned as we walked. "You are welcome to join. Starts after dinner. Usually it's required, but since you're a newcomer I doubt they'll make you."

I nodded. Sounded kind of fun, but I was still uneasy by everything. "Thank you. I'll see you around?"

Nico nodded and then he was gone. I watched his dark figure descend down the steps and sighed.

•••

Later, my half-brother Malcom was going to the Arena. He came up to my section and found me sulking, so he suggested I tag along. I begrudgingly got up and slung my bow on my back, along with my quiver. I lost a large amount of arrows between my battles with the hellhound and hydra. Malcom showed me where I could get more once we got to the armory.

The armory is just what it sounds like: a building full of weapons. Malcom grabbed a bow and a quiver full of arrows from the far wall. I follow his actions, filling my quiver up. At least this feels familiar. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to shoot some arrows, do something I was comfortable with to settle in.

The Arena was a vast expanse, taking up a large patch on the ground to provide space for several trainees at once. As we approached it, I was thrown off by how big it was. It lacked walls or ceilings, simply outlined in reaching columns. I climbed the three steps up onto the flat surface, taken aback by the activity.

I realized then why no one was upstairs at the Athena cabin, or why the camp wasn't as packed as I had expected. Half the population of Camp Half-Blood was right here, all of them training their hearts out and becoming as skilled at their weapons as possible. Campers littered the floor, all of them grunting out cries of battle like barbarians, and I was immediately intimidated. I followed Malcolm on the outskirts of the arena, moving towards the archers. They were off to one end, facing a wide, empty field and shooting off at set up targets.

As I set up, I sighed in relief to be here, my bow so familiar in my hands. Around me were all sorts of campers, but as I shot, I was convinced that I was alone, too caught up in my own head. One by one, arrow by arrow, I shot down every doubt and fear I had in my head. I shot away the worry for my aunt. I shot away the fact that everything I had once called Mythology was real. I shot away the anger that my existence was a lie, for my mother's identity remains a secret while my father's was a lie. I shot away my angst, and by the time I emptied my quiver, I realized I was crying.

But on my face I wore a smile.

•••

By the time I woke up from getting all of my memories back, it was already late in the afternoon. I had missed both breakfast and lunch. So by the time the dinner bell rang, I made a beeline from the arena towards the Mess Hall. I sat with the Athena children at their table and was served the most delicious smelling barbeque by a nymph. The campers all rose from their tables at once and made their way towards a fire in a pit. I stopped, mid-bite, to follow in confusion. I saw Nico and a blonde boy get up from the Apollo table and get in line and hurried to catch up with him.

"Hey," I say once I get to him.

"Hi," he replies.

"Um," I look at my plate, unsure."What am I supposed to do?"

Nico looked from my plate to me."Oh, you offer some of your food to the Gods. You scrape a portion of your food into the fire then say the name of the God you are offering it to."

I nodded, "Seems simple enough."

"How are you feeling?" the blonde boy asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "I'm...ok..."

He laughed at my response. "Sorry, I just realized how creepy the question was. I'm Will Solace. I'm the head of the medical staff at the infirmary."

"Oh!" I said, then laughed at my stupidity. "Of course! I'm feeling great, thank you."

We waited in line for a few seconds until we got to the burning blaze. Nico stepped up to the pit and tossed his food in, mumbling the name of a God that I couldn't hear clearly. Will followed him, and I heard him offer to Apollo. Then it was my turn.

I stepped up to the pit and tossed half of my brisket in, copying their actions. I suddenly frozen. Who do I offer my food to? I don't know who my mom is. "Athena," I said finally. She is my grandmother, and besides, who else would I thank?

I walked back to the Athena table and ate, occasionally passing words between my half-siblings. I sat next to Annabeth, listening as she told me about her adventures as a demigod, and her love for architecture. I was amazed to find out that she remodeled half of this camp after the Titan War, then again after the war with Gaea. It was quite amazing, the stories she told so nonchalantly about the countless times her and Percy saved the world. She spoke about him modestly, not lingering too much on the subject about how he fell into Tartus for her. She recounted these times with a light in her eyes, and I was speechless. The life of a demigod sounded like one of sacrifice, which was proven in her story about Luke Castellan. It was a lot to take in, but for some reason, I didn't feel like running and hiding. I felt like I was supposed to be here

For the first time since my dad died, everything felt right.