So, Chiron took the news of my mother being able to save me while asleep…pretty well, actually. Like, really well. Guess after working with demigods and heroes for hundreds of years, things stop taking you by surprise. "She is still alive, we all know this," he said, "so her answering to you is not…completely surprising. Disturbing, yes, but not surprising. However, for the sake of keeping her down and not sending the gods into a panic," he glanced at Dionysus, "I would like to keep this as merely a stroke of luck."

"Zeus won't buy it," Dionysus sighed, "but as long as Aeneas swears on the river Styx not to ask for her help again, damage should be kept to a minimum."

"So I should ignore my own mother?"

"She may be your mother, but she is also the one who nearly destroyed us. No more communicating with her, or any other member of your family that had shown resistance against us gods and our children."

You know how at the beginning of this I said that the gods and I weren't chummy? Yeah, this is why. Don't get me wrong, what my mother and siblings were attempting to do was way, way, way out of line, but you have to believe me when I say that they're not all bad. I mean…I had Rosy, right? And the Cyclopes, obviously. And a few years ago, I got to talk to another giant named Caddy. He was cool…until he ate dad's car…that one wasn't as easy to explain while trying to hide everything from him. So…I had two giants that were sort of nice…

"Aeneas," Chiron placed a firm hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes, "I know this is unfair."

"It's fine. I understand the god's concerns. I won't speak to her anymore…but what if I come across a giant that isn't like the others? Who wants to help us?"

"Then we will welcome them, as we have with many Cyclopes."

"Just don't go getting all hopeful," Dionysus settled back into his seat, "you're too old to cling to such fantasies, boy."

"Now come," Chiron led me out of the room, leaving my backpack beside the package, "I want you to meet some good friends of mine. They have arrived from Camp Jupiter."

The scents hit me all at once again, rot and blood and…um, I'll leave the rest up to your imaginations. We exited the Big House in time to see a tall, tan horse chewing on a piece of gold, handed to him by a dark girl with frizzy hair in a purple tee and black jacket. Campers stood around in awe, including Mattie and Percy, the latter speaking to a buff young man beside the horse. Rachel noticed me and came up beside. "Good thing I was around. Mattie nearly pocketed a mound of gold Hazel brought up."

I knew of Hazel Levesque from mother's stories before her defeat. She never had anything good to say about her or her fellow roman, Frank Zhang. She blamed her for not allowing her awakening beforehand (mother and her grudges). As for Frank, she felt him unnatural. She had hated how he could become any animal. I'll admit, a guy who could turn into a snake, lion, eagle and other large predators was a bit unnerving, until I saw him pick up Percy in a big hug and swing him around. Sort of calmed my nerves as we approached.

"Hazel, Frank," Rachel said, loud enough for the other campers to hear, "I'd like you to meet Aeneas Forrester, from Long Island."

The horse whinnied.

"Oh, sorry. Aeneas, this is Arion, Hazel's steed-er, trusted companion."

Arion whinnied into Hazel's ear, who smiled my way. "He says not to touch his gold. He's still a little sensitive after a couple of fauns hid his "snacks" from him back home."

"I'm sorry we couldn't get here any earlier," Frank tugged at the hem of his grey coat, "but with communications so out of sorts, we had a hard time trying to figure out when to come. Hazel suggested he let Arion ride us up today, and I gotta say, I'm glad for it."

"I just wish we had been earlier," Hazel pounded her fits together, "I swear, if we come across Leo on this new quest you were telling us about, Nico," she glanced back at a pale young man in all black, "I'm gonna pound him right into the Underworld for real."

"Please don't. Knowing him, Father would send him right back up for tinkering with too many things down there."

Percy kept glancing my way, probably wondering how my explanation had gone. Before I could tell him, a horn blew. "Right on schedule," Chiron clapped his hands as campers directed themselves towards what I later found out to be the dining pavilion, "Hazel, Frank, Arion, do join us for dinner. We have some…exciting news."

All three looked my way before following Percy and Rachel. Mattie began blabbing to Frank about her expectations of the camp, and seeing how they were both Mars' children, I was sure she'd be fine. She even had a new friend, a young boy (Harley) at her side. Now that I think about it, he never left her side that night…

"Aeneas," Chiron led the campers away, "why don't you grab your new shirt?"

I ran inside to find Dionysus already gone, no doubt sitting somewhere nice and comfy in Olympus. I opened the box again and pulled out the shirt. It was unmarked and smelled of laundry detergent, verifying that it wasn't going to itch or give me hives.

"…Is this it," I spoke aloud and looked to the roof of the rec room, "is this really what you've been planning for me? Or will there be more to this change?"

Silence.

"…Could I at least have some say in what happens?"

Thunder boomed, startling me. "Okay, okay…fine," I glanced at the shirt again, "…welcome to your new home, Aeneas Forrester. You've really outdone yourself now."

I remember my first time going to camp. We sang hymns by the campfire, played capture the flag and hide and seek, and then we solved the mystery of who stole the booger goblet from the boy's cabin...ah, childhood memories. While this isn't going to be some epic, I want to visit Half-Blood again. I love reading about the campers and their training and fighting, and I'm hoping to let Aeneas make some fond memories. You know, as soon as everything about his mother being the one who nearly destroyed everything comes to light.

Until the next chapter!