A/N: Hello again, all! I've been really busy what with the end of the semester drawing near, but I've tried to keep up with my writing. This chapter sets the wheels of the story in motion, but I promise you the ones afterwards will be much more exciting. Thanks to my reviewers, followers, and favorit(ers?). I hope you enjoy!

Working up my resolve, I leaned back against one of the tallest Eucalyptus trees, taking in the wonderful scent, the buzzing of the bees, the feel of the summer breeze as it touched my face. Before I knew it, in seeming accordance with my previous sleep habits, I dozed off – my head rested against the bark.

Gwen appeared before me, and I was entirely aware that I was dreaming. As I stood there expectantly, my friend opened her mouth and began to speak, though not in her normal voice. No, what I heard couldn't be right – a man, cruel and posh, with a defined English accent, spoke to me, "Eric, how wonderful to meet you at last."

"Who are you?" I responded, angry and confused – how did he know my name?

Gwen laughed, "I am Morpheus, god of Dreams – and as much as I would like wipe that rude look from your face, my lord Hypnos has placed you under his protection...for now. I come bearing a message from your father, and though I am obligated to deliver it, I am by no means required to help you decipher it."

The man/Gwen pulled out a scroll and held it out to me. Taking it my hand, I slowly unfurled the parchment, preparing to read. What I saw – the well-constructed visage of a grey man – made me drop the message, and when it hit the floor, it exploded into dust. From the ashes, I could see wisps of smoke rise and form the same face, "The world of the unconscious is your domain – navigate it, and it will serve you, but demonstrate uncertainty, and it will consume you."

The smoke dissipated, leaving me alone with Morpheus, who grinned before disappearing into purple bubbles. It reminded of a lava lamp, but I had no time to dwell on that, I was too busy trying to figure out my father's message. Storing the information in a mental file cabinet, I willed myself to wake up – surprisingly, I did so, only to find Jordan standing over me – looking concerned.

/

I was in the Big House now, no beautiful nature scenery surrounded me. Instead, Gwen – the real Gwen, I presumed, stood at my bedside, looking at me with worry. Roger was beside her, grasping Jordan's hand as he wailed with relief. Next thing I knew, he had given me a huge goat-hug, "You've been out so long! What happened?"

Chiron strode into the room, looking stern, "Alright, alright – let the boy get some rest. He will need his strength for the quest tomorrow."

"Excuse me, Chiron, but I need to go somewhere – I have something to do."

He eyed me with concern before nodding, "Well, I suppose you have rested enough."

Confused, I looked at Roger, who said, "It's Friday, Eric, you've been out for nearly sixteen hours."

/

Nervously, I made my way toward the Artemis cabin, where the Huntresses were staying while their Mistress was off tracking the remaining rebels. I took two steps up to the cabin, just now noticing the elegant silver gleam it gave off. My hand in mid-air, about to knock on the door, I realized what was about to happen and almost turned away. If I were to face rejection now, before even beginning my quest and after having been in what looked to be a coma, how would I convince my friends to follow me into the dangerous unknown? Their leader, me, the twelve year-old demigod newbie, couldn't afford to look weak before setting out!

But if I didn't ask for her help, the quest would fail, so I steeled my nerves and knocked on the door. After two minutes passed without an answer, I pushed the cabin open, careful not to step inside. It was empty – she'd left! How was I supposed to ask for her help? A little relieved, which made me feel guilty, I decided to go to the dining pavilion. I couldn't believe I had missed my chance to recruit Gloria; I was sure she was supposed to help us, but I didn't see how that was possible now.

/

As I sat down with Clovis and a couple of other sleeping demigods at the Hypnos table, Roger slid in beside me, "You mind telling me what happened?"

I sighed and relayed my encounter with Morpheus and the message from my father. Roger looked thoughtful before replying, "Maybe you'll be able to control people in their sleep. That would be so cool!"

I gave him a look, "Really, Roger?"

"Hey, you never know," he laughed, and I realized he was trying to cheer me up.

"I know you wanted to bring Gloria along, but maybe it's for the best. We've got a pretty good group – I told Katie and Gwen; they both jumped at the chance to join us. Who're you gonna get to fill the vacant place?"

"Hmm..." I glanced over at the neighboring tables. Then I did something that surprised even myself, "Pollux, will you come with us to rescue Philotes?"

The stunned kid, a child of Dionysus, who was now glaring at me from across the pavilion, looked at me glumly, "Wh...why would you want me? I'm no good."

"That's not true! This quest is going to be comprised of a focused group – we need people familiar with nature; it's a feeling I've got. That's why I picked Roger and Katie – you'd make a fine addition to our team!"

Pollux looked like he had been handed leather wings and pushed off a cliff. I looked, a little disappointed, "If you don't wanna go, it's okay – I just thought-"

He cut me off, "No! No, I'll come – I'd like to help you."

Roger and I grinned, and I looked over at Gwen, who raised an eyebrow. Mouthing the words, "I'll explain later," I turned to my enchiladas and began eating.

/

Later that afternoon, (we had decided to set off on Saturday so Pollux could prepare himself), Roger told me I'd be playing Capture the Flag, "Because of the new campers, we're splitting up into four teams this week. It'll be a free for all – whoever's left with their flag and in the possession of the most enemy flags after an hour wins."

I looked at him anxiously, a bit paler than normal, "How do we select teams?"

Smiling even wider, he said, "Cabins form alliances with one another to defeat the existing champions. Right now, Athena-Poseidon-Apollo have the Cup, while Ares-Hermes-Hephaestus is set to be their biggest challenger. The remaining cabins are as of yet unaligned – you might wanna convince Clovis to side with one of those two this week."

Shaking my head, I understood I had the opportunity to prove myself, "No, I'll form my own coalition – using my friends."

Roger moaned, "We're gonna die, aren't we?"

Grinning, I said, "Maybe, but we'll show camp that you don't need to meet the traditional definition of 'hero' to be great."