PERCY

I knew it wasn't going to be easy to explain everything to Thorn, as he called himself these days. I had no clue where to start- with my story, his story, what happened to Annabeth…. Uh… I guessed I'd start with the problem at hand.

"Well, Thorn, for the past ten years, the gods have been at war with the Protogenoi."

I can tell he's shocked.

"Okay, maybe I should start at the beginning. My name's Percy Jackson and that's what you're to call me here. Anywhere else, it's Atlantis. I, whoa, I saved the world. Yeah, from the Titans. After that, I don't know, a year or two later, one night, I was kidnapped. Chaos wouldn't let me go back, even though I struggled and protested. I wasn't allowed to go back. I wasn't even allowed to say goodbye. My girlfriend read a goodbye note that I didn't write, and she joined the hunters. Then, about fifteen years ago, she left and had a kid. Right after he was born, she vanished.

This whole time, the Primordial Army was forming and getting stronger and the Protogenoi were getting greedy. Thorn, the third, fifth and sixth regiments, the Aerocorps, and the Soul Legion are the only forces that remain loyal to Chaos. That would be Aether, the Aerocorps, Ananke, the third regiment, Thalassa, the fifth regiment, Nyx, the sixth regiment, and us, the Soul Legion, under Chaos. We swore to protect mankind against any threat."

It was a lot to take in- I knew it, and Thorn looked pretty confused. Aand… it didn't make me like him more. Well, how could I? He was Annabeth's son, for the gods' sake!

"Why do you hate me?" His words were so quiet that I actually would have missed them, had I not had one of Chaos' many blessings- extremely fine hearing.

"Look… Thorn… it's… it's complicated, okay? It all has to do with… with your mother."

"Annabeth?"

"Don't say her name!" I snapped, but immediately regretted it. I don't know how, but in those few moments between when I said 'it didn't make me like him more' and now, I had grown fond of the boy. … And that moment's over. Thorn looked taken aback and I started pacing the room, trying to think clearly.

"Annabeth Chase was my girlfriend, Thorn. I was so frickin' in love with her- I was gonna marry her! Earlier that day, the day I was kidnapped, I had been ring-shopping, and had found one, but I didn't buy it, 'cause I needed more money. That's why I can't stand you, Thorn! You're from her and a guy who's not me! Your facial, hell, your body structure is like her!"

"Please leave."

Honestly, I hadn't been expecting that. Thorn was lying on his back on his bed, looking at the ceiling, but his voice was angry. I felt the power of the primordial god seeping from him; the shadows cast by the fireflies were closing in on me, pushing me towards the wall, pushing me out, out of Thorn's life.

"Thorn, we have to stick together, Thorn!" I shouted, but the next thing I know, I was on my back in the grass in front of the Erebos cabin. Oh great.

.

THORN

I don't think I slept at all after Percy left. Part of me was wondering why I had been so mad at him, and the other part was absorbing everything. This dude's girlfriend (ex?) is my mother? Two words: messed up.

Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, not waking up until well past twelve the next day.

"Thorn… Thorn… THORN! IN THE NAME OF THE GODS, GET OUT OF BED!"

"What the he- whoa!" I spluttered, my eyes opening abruptly and falling out of bed. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

A groan, then: "This is your friendly neighborhood stalker, Ryan Belfast, son of Heracles, sent by Chiron to wake you up and tell you it's time for lunch," a voice replied. I looked up to see a small but muscular teenager with brown hair and grey eyes, wearing a bright orange shirt and black shorts.

"How did you get in here? I thought At- Percy said only people with permission from me could," I muttered, getting up and brushing my clothes (that I apparently slept in) off. Ryan grinned at my question.

"Chiron showed, or rather told, me a little trick. Don't worry, right now, the only people who can come in are Chiron, Percy, and me. Although, if you specifically forbid any of us to enter, we, of course, can't. So, uh, you'll find a change of clothes under your pillow, and I'll just wait outside until you're done changing, okay? Great!"

Well, he was in no hurry to leave all of a sudden. Not the sarcasm.

I turned to my bed, slightly suspicious of how the clothes could have gotten there and whether or not Ryan was just playing tricks on me. However, when I lifted the pillow, there was a pair of black jeans, an orange t shirt, and, surprisingly, a black beanie. Why the hell would they give me a hat? I shook my head and started to change out of my old dirty clothes and into the new ones.

Out of habit, my eyes scanned the room for my sword and its sheath to attach to my belt, but there was nothing there. It made me slightly sad- like part of me was missing.

.

.

.

Chiron said that since it was my first day at Camp Half-Blood, I'd just tag along with Kenny and Ryan (who apparently had the same schedules) to the afternoon classes, namely sword fighting and rock climbing (up a wall with lava, great).

"So, you'll be with Ryan, since he always had to pair up with the instructor," Kenny was finishing up his sentence as he, his siblings, the Poseidon cabin, Ryan and I were standing in the Arena, where sword fighting class took place. The only weird thing was that Percy wasn't there. Maybe he was skipping classes or so. Could you do that here?

"Alright, listen up! For as long as I'm here, I'm your instructor!" a voice shouted across the Arena. We all turned, and, to my surprise, there stood Percy Jackson, his weird bronze sword drawn. "You will team up as follows: Kenny and Janette, Owen and Simon, Basil and Marina, and Ryan and Thorn. Uh, Thorn, come, let's get a weapon for you. The rest of you, get warmed up. And Owen and Simon, try not to kill each other. Keep an eye on them, will you, Ryan? Thanks."

I'll be straight up with you. I was honest-to-god confused. After being nudged by Ryan, I followed Percy into a small tools shed next to the arena.

"I know you're used to fighting with a sabre, but they don't really make these here," Percy spoke, his back turned. I figured he was still pissed from our conversation last night. "But this should do." He turned, holding the butt of a sword in my face. I took it, examining it closely.

Like my old one, it was black metal, and about the same length. The only real difference, I figured, was that it was shaped like a triangle, like swords you always saw in movies. I nodded; the sword felt balanced in my hand. Without another word, Percy brushed past me, leaving the weapons shed. A chill ran down my spine as I was left alone.

The shadows started bending towards me, trying to tug me into them. I would have willingly gone with them, into the comforting depths of the worlds they showed me, but something was off. Majorly off. As a sudden paranoia rushed through me, I ran out of the weapons shed, past my startled sword fighting class, and towards the borders.

Something was there, I knew it!

Soon, I heard shouts from up ahead.

"Help, someone, help! Get Chiron! Get an Apollo camper!"

It was the border patrol.

I pushed them aside as I stumbled forwards, towards the body on the ground. My eyes met pale golden ones.

Madcap.

Recognition beamed in his eyes, and it was only then that I noticed the profusely bleeding cut on his forehead.

"Madcap, what's-"

"They're coming. Quick, it has begun. This is war."

And then he passed out. Talk about dramatic.

Right around then I saw the army marching towards us.

Shit….

I am back! Aw yeah! So, find out what happens next next weekend when I have another two extra days off!

Oh yeah, an image link to Thorn is on my profile, please check it out :)