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10. Camp Creating Complications
"Where are we going?" I ask Ben.
He turns around, skipping backwards on his goat hooves, "You'll see, we're almost there!" We start up a hill, and when we make it to the top, I freeze.
A huge pine tree stands next to me, overlooking a valley below. "Welcome," says Ben, "to Camp Half-Blood."
"Where exactly are we?" I ask as we walk down the hill towards the three-story farmhouse.
"Camp Half-Blood," He says, "the safest place for people like you."
"And who are the 'people like me'?" I prompt.
"Half-bloods. Demigods. Well, you're more like a Quadrigod since both of your parents are Demigods but that can get confusing."
I think about Albus and his half-bloods, "What do I have half the blood of?"
"A god. A Greek god, specifically Poseidon."
None of his words sink in, and I stop, a blank stare coming across my face.
Ben stops too, "Do I need to spell it out for you?" He sees the look on my face and continues, "Your dad, Percy, he's one of the most famous Demigods alive, he is the son of Poseidon. Your mom, Annabeth, she is a daughter of Athena. They save the world, fall in love, and BAM! There you and Luke are."
"That's a lovely analysis."
"Yeah, well, it's all I have time for. Chiron is waiting in the Big House for you. Anyway, since both your parents had a different Greek god for a parent no one was sure which cabin you'd be in."
"Cabin?"
Ben ignores me, "It's obvious now though. Your brother's staying in Athena, and you'll have cabin three all to yourself. No one was sure if you'd ever be staying in it at all. Some children of demigods, the god blood isn't as prominent and their powers don't develop. That's what we thought was the case with you. But your parents, they had faith, kept you safe all these years just in case, and here you are. Just a late bloomer."
"Thanks."
I'm silent for a moment as we make our way farther down the valley, headed for what must be the Big House.
"Who's your godly parent?" I ask, indicating Ben's goat legs.
"Satyrs don't have godly parents. I'm not like you, Thalia. I'm part goat, not god."
"You're a pretty good protector though," I tell him.
"Thanks," He mutters, "you were my first job. I'm just glad it went better than Grover's first."
"What happened to-" But Ben cuts me off as we jump up the steps to the Big House.
"Ben is that you?" A voice calls from farther inside the house.
"Yes! You were right about Thalia too!" Ben yells back, indicating for me to follow him.
"Well of course he was!" Another gruffer voice says as we step out another door at the back of the house and onto a large white porch.
There, a small table is set up with two men sitting playing a card game.
"Thalia!" The man in the wheelchair exclaims, wheeling towards me, "Welcome home."
I glance at Ben and he smiles encouragingly. "Um, thanks…"
"Chiron, child."
I blink, "Wait, Chiron. Like from the stories?"
Chiron laughs, "I see Percy and Annabeth have taught you well."
"No offense," I say, "but aren't you supposed to be part horse or something?"
Chiron smiles and pats his wheelchair, "I usually use this when new campers arrive. To alleviate some of the shock so it doesn't come on all at once."
"Another Johnson?" The other man at the table exclaims. He doesn't look up from his cards as he waves a finger at his glass, causing it to fill with a dark, carbonated liquid, "I thought I was done with them! Only 28 more years, and I can't get a moment of peace."
"It's Jackson, actually, Sir," Ben cuts in quietly.
"Do I look like I care?" He looks up menacingly at Ben, a wild look flashing though his black eyes.
"Um, no sir," Ben mumbles, looking down at his hooves.
"That's right. Now am I dealing you in or not?"
"Actually, Sir," Ben states with a bit more confidence, "I was about to show Thalia around the camp."
"Ah yes, run along to your swordplay or whatever it is you so-called heroes do," He says waving a hand impatiently.
"Yes Sir," Ben says, turning to me. "Ready Thalia?"
"Oh, ah yeah," I say glancing down at Chiron again.
"You'll have to excuse Mr. D, Thalia. He's been in a bit of a time out for the past 75 years," Chiron mumbles to me in an undertone.
"Are you going to play or not?" Mr. D growls to Chiron.
Leaving the men to their card game, I follow Ben back though the house and out the front door.
[[[[]]]
I walk into Poseidon's cabin, and my first thought is the dust.
I can tell that it's been forever since anyone else lived here.
"How long has it been since-?" I turn to ask Ben, but he's already galloped off, leaving me to rest in peace.
"I guess I'll ask you later, then."
Realizing how tired I am, I flop on to the bed.
[[[]]]]
I wake up later to the sound of arrows flying past my cabin window. It takes me a moment to remember where I am.
Then I remember the monster, Albus, and Ben, bringing me to this place… Camp Half-Blood. The sun out the window is low in the sky, and there are shouts and screams echoing all around me.
I slide off the bed when I hear the knock on the door.
"All rested?" Ben asks, stepping inside.
"Yeah, I guess," I say, stretching.
"Good. Because everyone's having a free hour now so I thought I'd have you meet some people before dinner."
[[[[]]]
"Stop here," He says.
It's a grey building with an owl carved above the doorway, and a brass number 6 hanging in the owl's beak.
I look at Ben, "Athena?"
He nods. I step cautiously through the door behind him, unsure of what to expect.
The walls are filled floor to ceiling with books. About five blondes are clustered around a table, concentrating on a disintegrating scroll between them. They all have blonde hair and grey eyes, just like…
Luke.
"Thalia?"
My stomach churns at the sound of Luke's voice.
I hope I don't look as stupid as I feel when I realize that this is the camp Luke's been at all summer.
I turn to face Luke. He's sitting on one of the bunk beds pushed up against the far wall, tinkering with a small metal object.
What do I say?
I haven't talked to him in… I don't even know how long….
Oh yeah, I remember now, "It's the thought that counts, Thalia, just remember, it's the thought that counts."
That was the last thing Luke said to me, standing in my doorway back at the apartment. The other people at the table turn to look at me as Luke stands and walks toward me.
"So… Thalia… what's up?"
I can feel my mouth fall open in shock, "What's up? I haven't seen you in how long, and all you say to me is 'what's up?'" Some people from the table start to turn and stare at us as my voice starts to get squeaky.
Ben must be able to smell the emotions rolling off of me, "Ah… c'mon Thalia, they seem busy. We'll meet up with them after dinner. Maybe."
I open my mouth to retort, but when I see Athena's cabin members' faces, I decide walking out the door would be a better idea.
I'm halfway out the door when someone puts their arm across the doorway, blocking my way.
Blinking, I stare blankly at the arm, walking my eyes up slowly to see the tan face of a boy of about seventeen.
His blonde hair is windswept and he looks at me intently, his grey eyes flashing with something that lets you know that he knows that you think he's hot.
In other words, an ego.
And a very big one at that.
"You're Thalia." It's not a question.
"Yeah," I try to hold his gaze.
"I'm Tyler Mason. Cabin leader in Athena."
"Hi."
"Welcome to Camp Half-blood," he says, dropping his arm and sliding into the cabin, "I hope you enjoy your time here."
I try not to run as I follow Ben away from the grey stares of Athena's children. I don't want to look back, but the one time I do, I see Tyler's face peeking out from a window.
He flashes me a blinding smile and lets the white curtain fall.
A shiver runs down my back.
His tone might have been sincere, but there was something in his words that has given me a strange sense of foreboding.
"Well that was fun," Ben says in an attempt to lighten my mood.
"I can think of a lot of other words to describe that experience other than fun."
"Yeah well- oh, hi," Ben smiles at something over my shoulder.
I turn around to see one of the Athena girls that was sitting around the scroll at the table.
"Hey!" She says with an inviting smile, "I heard you were Luke's sister."
"Um, yeah," I say, the corners of my lips turning up. Her smile is somewhat contagious.
"I'm Sarah," She sticks out her hand, "Sarah Audrey."
"Thalia Jackson," I take her hand, "But I guess you already knew that."
"Jackson? I didn't know that part…" She mumbles.
"What?"
"Nothing. Have you met Seth yet?"
"I don't think so," I say hesitantly.
"Well c'mon then! He's got to be the nicest son of Ares the camp has seen since… well ever! I can take her from here Ben," She says to him, looping her arm though mine, "Why don't you go find yourself some tin cans or something."
Thinking he might find that somewhat insulting, I'm surprised when he smiles, "Thanks Sarah. See you at dinner Thal."
The Ares cabin has a crude red paint job and a boar head hanging above the door.
Sarah sticks her head in the door, "Is Seth here?"
I hear some grumbles and threats to catapult her into Tartarus, but Sarah just takes it in stride.
"If he's not I can come back later," She says with a sweet smile. I stick my head in next to her to see five or six burly kids lounging around, a couple picking their fingernails with knives.
At Sarah's last words, they all point to the back of the cabin, strong senses of dislike clouding their eyes.
"Thanks guys!" Sarah says, grabbing my arm and pulling me through the cabin, the Ares campers following my every step with almost red eyes.
Sarah leads me to a dark corner at the back of the cabin, out of earshot from the other campers.
"Seth?" She asks quietly, letting go of my arm.
"I thought I heard you coming, Sarah," A dark voice comes from the corner. Slowly, my eyes adjust to the sudden darkness and I see someone sitting on one of the bunk beds.
"Who's with you?"
Sarah turns back to see me standing a few steps behind. She gives an exasperated sigh, and I let her drag me to the edge of the bed.
Seth turns towards me, looking up at my face. I look down at his, and realize it's useless, standing in front of him.
Seth is blind.
Angry red scars, hardly muted by time, wind their way continuously across his face. His eyes are closed, four white scars running vertical on each eyelid.
He must be able to feel me looking, "Pretty ugly, huh?"
"No," I whisper hoarsely.
He chuckles humorously, "You don't have to lie…"
He trails off. "Give him your hand," Sarah whispers in my ear.
"What?" I look at her, eyebrows raised.
She nods to Seth, who extends a hand, palm up, to me.
I look back at Sarah for confirmation. She nods encouragingly with a smile.
Extending my hand, I place it somewhat curiously in Seth's pale fingers. A slight smile steals over his face, something synonymous to peace pulling at his scarred features.
It seems like a long time that he runs his hand along mine, tracing the lines of my palm, trailing up my forearm to some of the scars I acquired from Mud-man.
I become enamored with watching his face as he whispers words that only he can hear.
And all of a sudden, he's satisfied. His hand falls to his side, but mine stays frozen in the air a moment before it falls back as well.
"Thalia Jackson," He mutters. "We've been waiting for you."
"So I've heard."
Seth and Sarah smile.
"C'mon Thalia," Sarah says, taking my arm again, "the dinner bell's about to sound."
Just then, a conch shell horn blows, signaling supper.
"'Bye Seth," I call back to his darkening form on the bed.
"See you around Thalia. Sarah."
Outside, Sarah starts leading me to the open pavilion.
"So what's his story?" I ask her.
She hesitates before saying, "Monster attack on a failed quest. He was trying to protect his brother, but the monster was too fast. Before he could do anything, his brother was dead and the monster had turned. Gouged out both his eyes and half the skin on his face. Seth hasn't been out in the world since. But he practices like a mad-man every day, so I wouldn't try to go up against him in any swordplay practice."
"What's the deal with the hand thing?"
"Once he got back, he prayed to his dad for help. For his brother back. For his sight back. All Ares gave him was his so called 'gift.' Seth can tell who you are through your battle-wounds."
I don't have an intelligent response to that, so I'm quiet until we reach the open pavilion.
"You'll be sitting over there," Sarah points to the empty table waiting for me.
"All by myself?" I whisper.
Sarah gives my arm a reassuring squeeze, "Don't worry. I'll be right over here. I'll meet you after. Just follow everyone else and you'll be fine."
I watch Sarah go to sit down next to my brother. Luke turns and catches my eye.
He starts to open his mouth, but is interrupted by Chiron's booming voice echoing over the pavilion, "Would everyone please take his or her seats, dinner is about to begin!"
Chiron starts talking, praises to the gods, so on and so forth. I try to listen, but am too busy staring at Luke, who's too busy avoiding my gaze.
Finally, Chiron stops talking and sits down, as Mr. D stands up.
"Greetings to all you brats sitting out there again tonight, I see you've made it through another day… unfortunately." I glance at Luke, who has suddenly become fascinated with his fingernails.
Mr. D keeps talking, blah, blah, and blah.
From what I can see, most of the people around me are being careful not to look this guy in the eye.
I can see why, he has a big chubby face with a fat, red nose. He looks like he just got out of bed. His hair is so black it looks purple, and his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt is rumpled.
He starts to sit down, but Chiron leans over and whispers something in his ear.
Mr. D gives an exasperated sigh, and stands back up, "I have just now been informed, that a new camper arrived today, please welcome, Tasha Johnson."
Everyone looks around, searching for the new girl. I start looking around too, and then realize that it's me, and this jerk has just messed up my name.
Chiron stands up and says, "I think what Mr. D meant to say was that our new camper's name is Thalia Jackson."
At this, the campers around start whispering and then they get louder, "Jackson!? Did he just say Jackson?!"
I can feel my face start to redden. Luke glances at me, a slight smile on his face.
Chiron waves his hands for silence, "Thank-you, thank-you, all right settle down, now." Everyone eventually shuts up and turns back to the front, "Now I trust you will all make her feel welcome in her first few days while she gets used to the way we do things here. Now, I believe we've waited long enough, let dinner begin!"
One table at a time stands up and walks to a buffet table on the edge of the pavilion I hadn't seen before.
I walk up to the table behind Luke.
It's filled with big, juicy grapes, strawberries, four different kinds of cheese, seven kinds of bread, and a big serving dish of fettuccine. I give Luke a sideway glance, and see that he's smiling, "Ooh, Italian night!"
"What are they talking about?" I mutter in his ear, "Why does it matter if our last name's Jackson?"
"Our last name?" Luke says, his eyebrows rising, "I think you mean yours. I'm Luke Chase."
I shake my head at him, uncomprehendingly, "Why did you take Mom's name?"
Luke rolls his eyes, "I was smarter than you and told Chiron before that I wouldn't want to be compared to the famous Percy Jackson." He whispers back.
"Well, guess who would've known that if someone's last words to me hadn't been, it's the stupid thought that stupid counts. What was that even supposed to stupid mean?"
Luke shakes his head, "What you just said didn't make any sense."
"Well it did in my mind!" I say in a huff and stalk back to my lonely table, bowl of fettuccine in hand.
Looks like things are going back to normal…
I sit on the top bunk, looking out at the rest of the cabin. It smells like the ocean, which I can see just outside the window.
The abalone walls shine in the darkness of the cabin, and a faint trickling sound from the saltwater fountain in the corner helps to calm me.
When I examined the fountain earlier in the evening, I saw that there was a huge crack down the side.
I lie back on the bed, wondering what my mom and dad did when they were here that made them so famous.
Well, Dad mostly, if nobody knows Chase is my mom's maiden name.
[[[[]]]
I come back late the next afternoon after my first sword-fighting lesson.
Besides the fact that I totally embarrassed myself by tripping over Tyler's foot and almost skewering myself with my sword, I think it went pretty well.
Everyone was amazed to see the sword that I brought out of the seashell.
Sarah named it Whitewash because she said that every time I swung it, all she saw was a flash of white before my watery blade crashed against the celestial bronze of whomever I was training with.
When I got back to Cabin three, I expected it to be completely silent besides the trickling of the cracked fountain in the corner.
I didn't expect my dad to be sitting in front of the fountain, the misty image of Harry Potter staring back at him.
"Have you gotten anywhere with them?"
Harry shakes his head, "No. Have you?"
Dad chuckles darkly, "They've hardly wanted the help of their own children, the heroes, for over a millennia. I don't know how much it will take to get them to trust a whole other race."
Harry nods, obviously thinking hard, "Minister Shaklebolt is for it, I think. It's just a matter of getting the Wizengamot on our side, but they're almost as stubborn as the Olympians."
Percy gives a real smile this time, "Almost."
"I'll talk to you when I have news, but right now you have someone waiting for you."
Dad sends his arm flying though the image, making it disappear, and whips around to see me standing just outside the door.
I stare at him for a moment, his stance, and the way he holds his hand over his pocket, as if he were armed, waiting for an attacker.
I have to tell myself to close my mouth.
"Hi Dad."
He ignores my greeting, "How much of that did you hear?"
"Oh just that last part about someone waiting for you," I lie. "Who was that?" As if I didn't know.
"Just someone from work," He says, running a hand through his hair. And then he's my dad again. An easy-going smile falls across his face, his green eyes are teasing, as if nothing had happened.
He walks up to me, folding me in his arms. I take in his sea-salty scent. As if he's been swimming in the ocean.
"Brought your stuff," He says, pointing to the two cardboard boxes on the bunk, "and this." He picks up a pot from the table, and I recognize the moon lace plant immediately.
"Thanks Dad," I say, hugging him again.
He asks me about how I like camp so far, and I tell him about the people I've met and the friends I've made. I tell him about the difficulty of training, but how much fun it can be.
I also tell his about the whispers that broke out during dinner when my name was announced.
"Why did everyone just about blow up when they found out my last name was Jackson?"
"Oh, I might've – defeated the Titan Lord- saved the world from evil such persons- won a battle against a god… all single handedly of course… can't imagine why people around here would still know my name…"
"Daaad…"
"Alright, alright, I might've had a little help."
"You seriously did all that stuff?"
"Thalia… would I lie to you?"
"Ah…"
"It was rhetorical. I'm sorry, Thalia, but do you see why we had to hide it all from you?"
"I guess…"
"Good. Then you're ready to train. Just think, you'll be battling gods in no time!"
"Um… is that – normal – demigod stuff?"
Dad laughs, "If you're amazing like I was, or am."
"Thanks, Dad."
When I tell him that Ben is a satyr, he laughs.
"Is Grover a satyr too?"
Dad nods and laughs, "He was my protector when I came to camp."
"Are families of satyrs assigned to families of half-bloods?" I ask.
Percy shakes his head, biting his lip, ghosts of the past blowing the humor off his face. "Grover isn't actually Ben's uncle. That was just part of the cover for you. Grover took Ben in when his was parents were… ah… eaten. By a Cyclops."
I decide there's not really anything to say.
We sit in silence for a couple minutes, me wondering if I should mention anything to Ben.
"Ben mentioned something about Grover's first mission not going so well. That wasn't you was it?"
Percy sighs, "No, I wasn't the first. On Grover's first mission, he tried to bring three demigods to camp. One was your mother, and she was just seven. The other two," Dad gets a faraway look in his eyes, "they were you and your brother's namesakes."
"Thalia and Luke?"
"Thalia Grace and Luke Castellan. Thalia died on Half-Blood Hill." Dad motions to the crest of the valley where the massive pine stands, "When Zeus, her father, saw her die, he preserved her essence in that pine tree."
"Is she still there?" I ask, standing next to my dad at the window.
Percy shakes his head, "She stayed there until the end of my second summer at camp, five years later." He clears his throat, "Cronus brought her back, just to shake things up a little bit." A disgusted look crossed his face, "but she joined the Hunters of Artemis a year later."
"What're they?"
"Girls who pledge themselves to eternal maidenhood. They follow Artemis, hunting. And they can only be killed in battle. Otherwise they're immortal."
"And this Thalia?"
"She's still alive."
I nod, "And what about the Luke you were talking about?"
Percy's face turns to stone and he almost snarls, "Luke died a hero. Everyone makes mistakes. Luke's mistakes may have led to a war, but in the end, he died a hero. And if anyone ever tells you differently, I give you full permission to thrust that new sword of yours," he nods towards the seashell around my neck, "straight though their heart."
I have to tell myself to close my mouth again.
Cautiously, I put my arm around his shoulders. He turns and hugs me, almost pulling me off the ground, "I'm so proud of you Thalia. You and your brother both."
"I have to go find Luke and your mom," Dad says releasing me, and I see that there is no sign that he's about to cry, not that I had expected there to be.
In fact, I would have been disappointed.
When he leaves, I open one of the cardboard boxes on my bed.
Albus's iridescent flower and my drawings lie on top. I pick up the flower, rubbing its perfect petals against my cheek before setting it on the table next to my bunk.
I catch myself thinking of all the times at Central Park, when we ate ice cream, went swimming, and rode Albus's broomstick.
I have my drawings to remember, but I wish I could see him one more time before he goes back to Hogwarts.
I look back at the cracked fountain in the corner, and can still see Harry's misty image.
When I came to camp, I thought that there would be no more secrets.
But it turns out now that there are even more than before.
I flop down on the bunk, looking across the cabin to the closed petals of the moon lace.
Being a demigod complicates everything. I sigh.
And it's only my second day.