Camp Half-Blood

After a few more hours of flying, they reached camp. Mark looked down.

'Is that… Long Island?'

'Yup.'

'Oh.'

They touched down. Melina trudged off, holding trees for support. Mark stared after her. 'What's she doing?'

'Shadow travel is exhausting. She's probably going to take a nap. Come, I'll take you to Chiron.'

Chiron looked at Mark. 'New demigod?'

'Yes, this is Mark, he's a son of Zeus.'

'How do you know?'

'He vapourized a huge gryphon with lightning, easy peasy.'

'I see. Well, Mark, welcome to camp! Take this,' He handed Mark a leather necklace. He saw Emily was wearing one too.

'One bead means one completed summer,' she said. 'Want to see your cabin?'

Emily opened the door to a cabin. 'Heyo, everyone, this is Mark, he's new. Everyone say hi!'

'Hi?'

A redhead came forward. She regarded him with amber eyes and said, 'Hello, I'm Julia Heather. I'm the head counselor of the Zeus cabin. Nice to meet you.' She held out her hand and Mark took it. She tried to give him a small static shock. Nothing happened.

'Oh crud, I forgot you're a son of Zeus.'

Emily left them to it. She went over to her cabin and opened the door. Her friend Percy was inside, eating a blue banana.

'Hey, Perce. How are you liking the bananas?'

'They're nice. They taste like vanilla ice-cream. How are you liking Riptide?'

'It's perfect. Are you sure you don't miss it?'

'I'm sure. I have a different sword now. Also Celestial Bronze.'

'Named it?'

'Yes. It's called Dinon.'

'Whirlpool?'

'Mm-hm.'

They ate blue bananas in silence. Then Percy said, 'I heard there's a new kid in camp.'

'Oh, Mark. Yeah, he's a son of Zeus.' She thought for a moment. 'I have a feeling that explains our rivalry in school.'

'Maybe. Hey, I still haven't gotten over winning capture the flag last week.'

'Me neither. Also, I wonder why new kids always join before capture the flag. It happened to you, me, Melina, now Mark. Weird, huh?'

'Yeah, it is. Anyways, why brood on that when there are blue bananas to be eaten?'

'Hear, hear.'

Meanwhile, in the Zeus cabin, Mark was having a blast.

'I hear you totally vapourized a gryphon?' asked a random boy.

'How… how did you know? '

'Word got around about the new kid. I'm Ethan. Let's be friends.'

'Okay.'

'Have you played capture the flag?'

'Um… yeah, I have.'

'Are you good?'

'Very.'

'Finally! Victory is ours!'

'You don't usually win?'

'No. Ever since Emily joined, and some other kids, the Poseidon cabin has won capture the flag every week. Now we can pay them back!'

'I… oh. Okay.'

Mark didn't want to beat Emily. But his competitive side took over. He got more enthusiastic.

'Okay! So, when is capture the flag?'

'Every Friday.'

'So today, then?'

'Yeah, in two hours. Getting ready?'

Mark grinned. He had finally found his happy place.