Alaster POV

"Al, you need to go now!"

"No! I'm not leaving you! I'll die here with you if I have to!"

"Al, get to camp! It's the only way you'll survive!"

"No, Thalia! I'm not leaving you!"

A ghastly sound emerged in the distance.

"They're catching up! Just go!"

"NO! THALIA!"

I woke with a start, sweating bullets. Another day, the same dream every time.

I looked around, I was in the Zeus Cabin. Not that I didn't like the Zeus Cabin, but it's not the most homeliest of places. It was a white marble box, with heavy, white columns in the front. It has polished bronze doors that shimmer like a hologram, and have lightning bolts streaked down them. The dome-shaped ceiling is decorated with moving mosaics of a cloudy sky and thunderbolts. It also thunders all the time.

The cabin only has one bed, once again, not the homeliest of places. It has alcoves with golden eagle statues and one intimidating statue of Zeus in the middle. Not that I want to disrespect the king of gods or anything, but it looks like a glaring hippie that was ten feet tall.

It sure didn't help that it looked like it was staring right at me. It's not easy to fall asleep with someone or something watching you.

Let me introduce myself before we go any further.

My name's Alaster Grace. I'm the son of the King of Gods, Zeus. I'm the only one of my siblings to still be alive today. I used to have a little brother and a big sister...but they're both gone.

Five years ago I came to Camp Half-Blood, a safe haven for the children of the gods. I didn't believe it when I first heard it, but the gods of Olympus are real.

I came to the Camp with the help of a satyr named Grover Underwood, who had left to look for any new Demigods. Along with Grover, a girl named Annabeth Chase, a boy named Luke Castellan, and my big sister, Thalia came too.

Thalia's gone like I said. Only Annabeth, Grover, Luke, and I made it back to camp. But Thalia isn't really truly gone, our father, Zeus, took pity on her and turned her into a pine tree.

Thalia was a great person, she fought an army of monsters just so Luke, Annabeth, and I could survive.

I stood up from my bed and went to my backpack, which was on the other side of the Cabin. I grabbed my Camp Half-Blood orange t-shirt, my black leather jacket, black pants, spiked bracelets, and black combat boots.

I put on the clothes and took a quick look at my ring, the center of the ring had a jewel in it which was the same color of my eyes, electric blue, and the rest of the ring was bronze.

I took my two sided highlighter from my bed and twirled it around in my fingers. One side was yellow and the other side was orange. Finally, I took my last object which was a black earring that went in my left ear.

I put the earring in my ear before making my way towards the door. I stopped in front of the bronze doors, seeing my reflection in it. My black hair that was swept towards the front in a crop cut, my electric blue eyes that I had inherited from my father, the three freckles I had on each of my cheeks, and my punk look...that reminded me of my sister.

I shook my head and opened the doors and walked out. I looked back at the outside of my cabin, it looked like one of those Greek temples, with white pillars holding up the ceiling.

I sighed before I started walking. As I looked around I saw other campers training. Well, most of them were training.

Travis and Connor Stoll, who were sons of Hermes, were trying to steal something from the Camp Store. Clarisse La Rue, a daughter of Ares, was pummeling a first year Camper, who dared to challenge her, in a spar.

I started thinking about what I should do today first, Archery Field? No. Climbing Wall? No. Sword Fighting Arena? Yeah.

I made my way to the Sword Fighting Arena. Sadly, no one was there yet. I guess I'll just train by myself then.

I brought out the highlighter from my pocket and uncapped the yellow side. Out of the yellow side expanded a sword. The sword was about three feet long, not including the hilt, the sword's blade was straight, the handle was wrapped in black leather, the hilt was curved upwards, and it balanced perfectly in my hand.

The sword was made out of Celestial Bronze, which was a material that could harm only creatures/monsters of this world.

I imagined a scenario, I was surrounded by monsters: Hellhounds, Furies, Dracanae, Manticores, etc.

I took a deep breath, the monsters jumped at me. I slashed and stabbed at all of them. I cut off the heads of Dracanae, slashes off the body parts of Manticores, plunged my sword into Furies right where its heart should be.

I don't know how long I acted in this scenario, but I snapped out of it when I heard a voice:

"Alaster"

I swung around and pointed my sword at the origin of the voice. I lowered my sword when I saw who it was. With her honey blonde hair that was tied in princess curls and in a ponytail, her stormy grey eyes and deep tan was Annabeth Chase, one of the people I came to camp with.

"What do you want?"I said

"Just seeing what you're up to"Annabeth said

"Well you've seen what I'm up to, so you can leave"I said

"There's no reason to be like that. You're not the only one who's grieving. Luke and I-"

"I don't care what you and Luke went through. It's nothing compared to what I went through. Sorry, but I'd prefer if I don't talk to either you or Luke again"I said, about to go back to my imaginary scenario.

"Spar with me"Annabeth said

"What?"I asked

"Spar with me. If you win I'll leave you alone. If I win...then you have to be on my team for Capture the Flag"Annabeth said

I thought about it..."You're on"

I placed the cap on the sword, it transformed back into the highlighter. I then uncapped the orange side of the highlighter and it expanded into a spear with a celestial bronze tip.

I pressed down on my ring and it spiraled into a shield. The shield was silver and bronze, it also had the face of Medusa the Gorgon on it. This shield was called Aegis. This shield was used by my father Zeus, the Goddess Athena, and my sister Thalia had a replica of it as well.

This was also a copy though, The God of Fire and Forges, Hephaestus made this for me after I completed a quest for him.

Annabeth withdrew her knife. I got into a fighting stance. After a few moments of silence I lunged at her. I thrusted the spear at her, Annabeth blocked it with her knife and forced the spear onto the ground. Annabeth ran at me and slashed her knife at me, I moved my head out backwards only to get kicked in the chest.

I stumbled backwards before slashing at her, she ducked underneath and went to attack my legs but I blocked her knife with my spear by plunging it into the ground.

I removed my spear from the ground and thrusted at her, she rolled away, grabbed me by my arm and Judo Flipped me.

I fell onto ground and before I knew it, she was on top of me with her knife held at my throat.

"Do you yield?"Annabeth said

I smirked, I took in a deep breath before blowing a powerful wind out of my mouth. Annabeth was thrown off me and she crashed down onto the ground.

"I hope you didn't think I'd go down that easily"I said. "You should be smart enough to know that, WiseGirl"

I charged at her, our weapons clashed. As our weapons clashed, I couldn't help but think of the sound reminding me of how the lighting sounded on that night. That night not so long ago after the field trip to Olympus.

Annabeth slashed at me, I dodged it and slashed her on the arm. She hissed a bit and I smirked in return. I charged again and thrusted my spear, she ducked and swept my legs.

I fell to the ground and rolled away as her knife almost came down on me. I blocked the knife with Aegis when she thrusted the knife at me.

I thrusted the spear at her once more. Annabeth grabbed the shaft and kicked me right in the throat. I grunted, Annabeth took my spear out of my hands, before I knew it she was behind me, her knife held at my throat again, my spear pointed at the side of my head, my arm with the shield on it held down by her leg.

"Do you yield"Annabeth panted

"I...I...I yield"I said stubbornly. She released me and I snatched my spear back, capping it.

"You should really spar with people rather than just using your imagination"Annabeth said

"Whatever"I said, walking pass her.

"Wait"I stopped

"What is it?"I asked

"Did you hear? Grover's back"She said

I turned around. "Grover's back?"

"Yeah. He brought another demigod with him"Annabeth said

"Why should I care about a new Demigod?"I asked

"He might be the one. The one in the prophecy"Annabeth said

I rolled my eyes. "That's ridiculous Annabeth. That kid's probably the son of Apollo or Hermes or someone like that. There's no way he's Big Three Material. If anything the prophecy's talking about me"

When Annabeth and I were ten years old, we overheard the Great Prophecy. For years now I've been thinking that it was about me. The prophecy was one I could never forget about:

A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze

It made sense for the prophecy to be about me. I'm the Son of Zeus, the king of Gods, and the only child of the Big Three at Camp. There's no way I'm not the half-blood in the prophecy.

"There's a chance tho-"

"Annabeth. You think this every time a new camper gets here. Every single time it turns out that you're wrong. What makes this time different? This kid, whoever his name is, is not the half-blood in the prophecy. If he is...then maybe I'll have some competition around here. But I highly doubt it"

I walked away, ignoring the Aphrodite girls who waved at me.

About two days later, I was in my Cabin. I was looking up at the ceiling, doing absolutely nothing. I was bored to say the least, for the past five years I've been doing the same thing over and over again: Wake up, train, eat dinner, train some more, and go to sleep. It was an endless cycle.

I mean, that was what everyone does at Camp...but I made sure that I stayed up as late as I can, training. I have to be the half-blood in the prophecy. But there was a thought in the back of my head...what if I wasn't?

I felt a little bit of relief, if I really wasn't the half-blood then I wouldn't have so much pressure. The son of Zeus being responsible for the fate of Olympus, yeah, that sounds predictable as it could get.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the doors. I stood up and walked toward the doors and opened them to see Annabeth.

"What is it? I'm already on your team"I said

"Mr. D needs another person to play Pinochle with"Annabeth said

"And why would you come to me of all people?"I asked

"Because your Cabin is the closest"

I threw my head back and groaned in irritation. "Fine. Not like I'd have a choice anyway"

I walked with Annabeth to where Mr. D AKA Dionysus the wine god AKA the Camp Director, and Chiron AKA the Activities Director AKA the Centaur.

The two were playing Pinochle.

"Alexander. Sit down"Mr. D said

"My name is Alaster"I said

"I don't care. Sit"Mr. D said

Mr D, as always, had on his tiger print Hawaiian shirt, he's not one of my top three beings that I'd want to meet, but there can be someone worse than him to run the camp.

As I went to sit down I heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Mr. Brunner!"

I looked to where the origin of the voice came from. It was a boy, who looked to be my age, twelve. He had tanned skin, disheveled jet-black hair that was swept to one side as if he just got back from a walk to the beach, and once he got closer I realized he had sea green eyes.

On the side of the boy was Grover Underwood, the satyr that led Annabeth, Luke, Thalia, and I to Camp.

"Ah, good, Percy"Chiron said. "Now we have four for Pinochle"

Ok, so I assume this kid's name is Percy. I don't know why...I just got the feeling is that I didn't like him very much.

Chiron offered Percy a chair next to Mr. D.

"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you"Mr. D said

Percy looked at me as if he expected me to say something, or he was surprised by my choice of clothing.

"You've got a staring problem or something?"I said. "Look in another direction"

"Annabeth?"Chiron called, Annabeth came forward. "This young lady nurses you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in canon eleven for now"

Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron"

Annabeth glanced at something in Percy's hands. With a few more moments of studying what it looked like I realized something...THAT WAS A MINOTAUR HORN!

My eyes widened...how...this guy looked like he couldn't even swing a sword right, but somehow he has a Minotaur horn.

Annabeth's stare switched from the horn to Percy. "You drool when you sleep"

She then sprinted off down the lawn.

"So,"Percy said. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?"

I tried my best to drown out the conversation Percy was having with Chiron and Mr. D, I just focused on the game until they were finally done.

"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again, about your less-than-perfect performance in this assignment"

Grover's face turned sweaty. "Y-yes, sir"

Mr. D turned to Percy. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners"

He swept into the Big House, Grover following behind him.

"Will Grover be okay?"Percy asked Chiron.

"If he's lucky he'll make it out without being turned into some sort of object"I said

Chiron gave me a warning glance and I rolled my eyes and backed off. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates his job. He's been...ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus"

I tuned out their conversation again, I already know this stuff, you should already know this stuff. There's not really a point in relaying this information.

Once Chiron and Percy were finally finished talking, I left the Big House to go back to Camp. But, unfortunately, at that time it was decided that Percy would come too.

I walked away faster, but I bumped into Annabeth.

"Annabeth, Alaster,"Chiron said. "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir"Annabeth said

I sighed. "All right"

"Canon eleven"Chiron told Percy, gesturing towards the doorway to the Hermes Cabin. "Make yourself at home"

Hermes Cabin is what you'd call the average summer camp looking cabin. But much older. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint was peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. A Caduceus.

"Well, then,"Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner"

Chiron galloped away.

I sat down on the ground as Percy entered the Cabin with Annabeth. I could barely handle seeing Annabeth almost everyday, but I've been trying to my absolute hardest to avoid Luke.

I stood and followed Annabeth as she dragged Percy outside by his wrist. The laughter of the Hermes kids were very prominent.

I followed them until they came to a stop.

"Jackson, you have to do better than that"Annabeth said

"What?"Percy asked

Annabeth rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath. "I can't believe I thought you were the one"

"What's your problem?"Percy said, his voice gaining an edge as if he was becoming angry. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy-"

"Don't talk like that!"I said. "Do you know how many kids would kill to have your chance?"

"To get killed?"Percy said

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"Annabeth said

Percy shook his head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..."

"Yes"Annabeth said

"Then there's only one"

"Yup"I said

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..."

"Monsters don't die, Jackson. They can be killed, but they don't die"I said

"Thanks, that really clears everything up"Percy said

"They don't have souls like we do. You can banish them for a while, maybe even centuries if you're lucky. But they always come back, they reform"I said

"You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-"

"The Fur...I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad"Annabeth said

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"

"You talk in your sleep"Annabeth said

Was Annabeth about to say Fury? Who in the Hades is this guy? He killed a Fury and a Minotaur?

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"

"We don't call them by their names. We call them Kindly Ones, if we have to speak about all of them"

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?"Percy said a little whiny-like. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there"

"You don't choose a cabin, Jackson. It depends on your your godly parent is"I said

"My mom is Sally Jackson"He said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to"

"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what Alaster meant. He's talking about your other parent. Your dad"

"He's dead. I never knew him"

Annabeth sighed. I know how it feels, I've had to explain this sort of thing to other kids loads of times. "Your father's not dead, Percy"

"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No, of course not"

"Then how can you say-"

"Because you wouldn't be here if he was"I said. "We know more about you than you do about yourself, that's pretty sad if you ask me"

"You don't know anything about me"Percy said

"No?"Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them"

"How-"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I bet letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your brain's hardwired for Ancient Greek, not English, Spanish, or whatever. And the ADHD, those are your natural battle reflexes, you can't stay still"I said

"In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are"Annabeth said

"You sound like...you went through the same thing?"Percy said

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar"Annabeth said

"Ambrosia and Nectar"

"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a mortal. It would've turned your blood into fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead just like that. Face it, Jackson. You're a half-blood"I said

"Well! A newbie!"

Oh gods...I know that voice.

Clarisse, one of the toughest demigods at camp from the Ares Cabin sauntered toward us. She had three other girls behind her. All of them big and ugly like she was.

"Clarisse"Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Miss Princess"Clarisse said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night"

"Erre es korakas"Annabeth said in Greek which meant 'Go to the crows'

I stepped in front of Clarisse. "Not before I run you through with mines"

"Oh please. You can't even take on Wise Girl. What makes you think you can take me on without your little powers?"

"I don't need my powers for you, I've got natural skill"I said. "You don't stand a chance"

"We'll pulverize you"Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. I smirked, perhaps she wasn't too sure about her little victory. She turned towards Percy. "Who's this little runt?"

"Percy Jackson"Annabeth said. "Meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares"

Percy blinked. "Like...the war god?"

Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"

"No. It explains the bad smell"Percy said, I snickered in return, maybe he wouldn't be that bad if he insults Clarisse like this.

Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy"

"Percy"

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you"

"Clarisse"Annabeth said

"Come on. He just got here"I said

"Stay out of it, wise girl, you too lightning mouth"

Percy handed Annabeth the Minotaur horn and got ready to fight, ten seconds didn't even go by and Clarisse had Percy in a headlock, dragging him toward a cinder-block building that was the bathroom.

"We can't just let him get his head dunked in scummy toilet water. I mean, I don't like the guy, but he doesn't deserve that"I said.

Annabeth nodded and we ran into the girls' bathroom, me more reluctantly. As soon as we entered we were sprayed with a heavy amount of water.

"Okay...maybe he can handle it by himself"I said. My clothes were drenched. I've never had a good history with water, being a son of Zeus and his rivalry with Poseidon.

Percy stood up, his legs shaking.

"How did you..."Annabeth said

"I don't know"Percy said

The three of us walked to the door. Outside, Clarisse and her goons were sprawled in the mud, and a bunch of other campers gathered to gawk at the sight. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her face, her camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage...it was better than what she actually smelled like though.

"You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead"Clarisse said

"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth"Percy said

I smirked a bit as Clarisse's friends held her back. They dragged her towards the Ares cabin, while the other campers made way to avoid her.

Annabeth stared at him.

"What?"Percy said. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking"she said,"that I want you on my team for capture the flag"

I couldn't help but think though...that amount of water that Percy used. There's no way he can be a child of a Minor water god with that much power.

Could it be...could Percy be a son of Poseidon?