In two months, you learn a lot of things. You learn how to use a sword, all about the Greek gods, that the girl you do not like has a boyfriend. Lots of things. You learn prophecies can take hundreds of years to take place, and that there's already on in motion. . 'Eight half-bloods shall answer the call,´ or something. The only thing I didn't learn was who my godly parent was. I didn't mind. I felt a normal kid for once. That didn't last.
"Focus newbie," The Hermes cabin was sparring with the Ares cabin. Of course I got paired with their best fighter. Clarisse La Rue.
"I've been here two months Clarisse," I said.
"Exactly. A newbie," Our weapons clashed, sword against spear. "Now focus." We kept training for another hour or so, but Clarisse won every time. I just couldn't think straight. Something felt different. Training ended when the conch shell sounded for dinner.
I must have looked bummed because Travis poked me. "Hey, don't look so sad. It sometimes takes years for someone to be claimed."
"Yeah, that makes me feel better."
"Hey I was just saying that-," Conner elbowed him.
"What my brother's trying to say is that you'll be fine."
"Exactly."
"Thanks, guys." I tried to sound upbeat, but a cloud of worry still hung over my head.
Dinner finished, and we headed to campfire. I stared at the ground the whole time. My mind was too full to focus on singing. The song had ended, but another one never started. I looked up and saw no one was moving. "What?"
"That would be courtesy of me." A voice boomed. A man was standing next to the fire. He had on a Greek toga, with sandy blonde hair and golden eyes just like mine. A pale scar ran along the right side of his face.
"Who are you?"
"Pity," The man said. "You don't remember me."
I summoned my sword. "Leave. And unfreeze everyone." I tried to sound confident, but I was terrified.
The man laughed. "I expected a warmer welcome from my daughter."
"What?"
"Kronos, my dear. I am Kronos."
"Why are you here?" My voice was wavering.
"For you, of course."
"What do you want with me?"
"To wish you a happy birthday." He answered like that was obvious. "Do you not remember?" I hadn't been paying attention to the date. "Well then, happy birthday. Goodbye." He waved his hand and disappeared in a shower of golden light. Searing pain erupted in my arm as the campers unfroze. No one moved. They were all staring at me in shock. The last thing I saw was a glowing golden scythe above my head before I pitched forward.
I woke up in the same bed I had slept in my first night. Once again, the blonde doctor rushed to my side. The pain in my arm had faded from excruciating to just agonizing. "You okay?" He asked.
"I'm alive. That counts for something. And you're not running away from me screaming. Also good."
"Hey, my job's to heal. I save personal opinions for after people are off Hades' doorstep. Either way, I wouldn't hate you. I'm Will by the way."
"Celeste. Though, I suppose you already knew that.
There was a bang on the door.
"Can we come in yet?" Someone yelled through the door.
"Come on in," Will said.
Piper barreled through the door and tackled me with a hug.
"Piper, we want her to heal," Will said. Her hug loosened.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" She said.
"You don't hate me?"
"Why would I hate you?"
"Because my dad is-," I couldn't bear to say it.
"I don't care. Our parents don't define us."
"Inspirational advice, Beauty Queen." I looked behind her and saw she had come in with three other people. Jason Grace, the Roman from Hera's trade, and Piper's boyfriend, Clipboard Girl, A.K.A. Annabeth, and an elfish boy who was fiddling with his jacket. I guessed he was Leo Valdez, the son of Hephaestus who was building the Argo II. Jason stared at me like I was a bomb that could go off any moment. Annabeth paced back and forth muttering to herself. "I should have known. The sword and the name, but how could she have?" I stopped listening.
"So, what now?" I asked.
Annabeth stopped pacing. "The prophecy. It must have been about you. 'Memories shrouded in mist.' That must mean your memories are fake. Maybe after Kronos fell or something. 'In the fight, she will assist.' So, we need you for the war. 'On the ship, the princess must sail.' I don't know what that means."
I winced. "That's me."
"You're 'the princess?'" She put it in air quotes.
"Yeah. The Princess of Time. It was my official title in my dad's court."
Annabeth went back to pacing. "Oh!" She ran out of the room.
"I better go make sure she doesn't go overboard." Piper followed her. And Jason moved after Piper. Guess he was just there to protect his girlfriend.
A ginger girl came to the door. "Will?" He looked up, "We need your help." She ducked out of the doorway.
"Sounds like I'm needed elsewhere. Will you be okay?"
"I'm fine." I tried to move, then winced in pain. "Okay, maybe not fine, but I'm alive, and will remain that way. Good enough?"
"Good enough." Then he left, leaving me alone with Leo.
"Hey, Your Highness." He said with a bow.
"Don't call me that."
"Okay, Princess."
"So you're the famous 'Repair Boy' huh? You're just as annoying as Piper described."
"Hey! I told her to stop calling me that." He grumbled.
"So what brings you here?"
"Piper made me. I mean, I wanted to come cause she talks about you, and I've been meaning to talk to you, because you seemed interesting and she mentioned foster care and running away, so I understood it, and-."
I raised my hand. "I asked why you were here Repair Boy, not your whole life story."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. Well, anyway I heard it was your birthday and so I-," His voice trailed off as he pulled out a black ring box.
"Proposing to me?" He blushed furiously. "I'm kidding! What's inside?"
He opened it and a golden ring with a golden gem was nestled inside. "It was just a prototype, but I thought you would like it so…" He pulled it out.
"Prototype?"
"Yeah," He twisted the gem and the ring turned into a golden shield.
I screamed. "Try not to kill me with a heart attack!"
"Sorry." He said as he slipped it onto my finger. "Still annoying?"
"Definitely." He frowned. "But maybe once my arm's healed, you could show me the famous Bunker Nine? And the Argo II? Apparently, I'll be sailing on it."
His smile returned. "I'd like that."